MNG Airlines, the largest Turkish cargo operator, has placed a firm order with Airbus for two A330-200Fs, plus one option. This follows the Memorandum of Understanding that was signed in January this year, following the industrial launch of the A330 Freighter.
Established in February 1996, MNG Airlines initially began to provide scheduled cargo services in November 1997 to Hahn (Germany) and Stansted (UK) with a middle range Airbus A300 freighter.
Today, MNG Airlines continues its cargo operations with 10 Airbus A300Fs and eight F-27s aircraft. Besides the fact that its fleet has grown in years, MNG Airlines has also included various service and operational units into its management portfolio, positioning it as a highly respected leader in the region.
With a cargo fleet that counts for almost 85 per cent of the total capacity of Turkey in this field, MNG Airlines is one of the most successful A300 operators in the world.
“By confirming our initial interest in the A330-200F, we can start implementing our growth strategy. We aim to expand our operations outside Europe, mainly to China and USA” said Mehmet Nazif Günal, founder and CEO of MNG Companies Group. “We are fully convinced that the A330-200 Freighter aircraft, the newest member of the A330/A340 family, will greatly contribute to achieving our goals and allow us to operate the most modern and economic fleet of cargo aircraft in Turkey”.
Airbus Chief Operating Officer – Customers, John Leahy said, “We’re delighted that MNG Airlines is a launch customer for our A330 Freighter. The fact that they now have firmly ordered the A330F is a great endorsement for our latest Freighter aircraft. It is a recognition of the opportunities the A330F offers carriers who want to optimize their freighter performance and develop their network”.
Depending on the selected version, the A330-200F can carry up to 64 metric tonnes over 4,000 nautical miles / 7400 km or 69 metric tonnes up to 3,200 nautical miles / 5930 km – non-stop. These range and payload capabilities will enable operators to grow their business by opening up or extending cargo routes they currently operate. Thanks to an optimized fuselage cross-section, it has the interior flexibility to carry a wide variety of pallet and container sizes for maximum interlining capability, offering 30 per cent more volume than any freighter in its class.
The A330-200F is a derivative of the very popular A330 Family aircraft which has more than 83 customers and operators worldwide. With a large number of aircraft already in service, it will enable a smooth introduction of the new all-cargo variant into existing A330 fleets. As all other current Airbus aircraft, the A330-200F will also benefit from the Airbus’ unique Fly-By-Wire technology enabling full operational commonality and hence faster pilot transition to and from other Airbus aircraft, both passenger and freighter.
