UPS ORDERS 60 A300-600 FREIGHTERS FROM AIRBUS INDUSTRIE
United Parcel Service said Tuesday it has placed a firm order for 60 addition A300-600 freighters from Airbus Industrie to meet long-term growth expected in UPS's global air operations.
The deal, valued at $6 billion, and included options on an additional 50 aircraft, represents the largest single aircraft deal in UPS's history.
UPS had placed a firm order for 30 A300-600 freighters in late 1998 for service within the United States. The first seven of those planes were delivered last fall and another 13 are scheduled for delivery this year.
The new order supersedes options for 30 aircraft taken in 1998.
the 60 aircraft will be delivered over a nine-year period. The A300-600s have the capacity to carry 22 containers on its upper deck and seven containers in the lower cargo compartments. The aircraft has a payload of nearly 58 tons and a range of 2,500 miles.
The order addresses a forecasted need for more widebody, shorter-haul jet freighters that can operate on a variety of regional routes outside of the United States.
'Whether it's Europe, Asia or Latin America, we need to be prepared to deploy a modern jet freighter that's flexible enough to operate anywhere,' said Bob Lekites, vice president, UPS Airlines Operations. 'This order for the A300-600 provides us that long-term capability and fits our specific needs.'
UPS's international export volume rose 23 percent in the third quarter of 2000, compared to the year-earlier period.