Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, a leading global provider of outsourced aircraft and aviation operating services, notified Boeing that it has exercised its contractual termination rights with respect to three early production 747-8 freighters after lengthy delays and performance considerations. These three early production freighters were previously scheduled to be Atlas Air’s first deliveries in 2011. Subsequently, Boeing rescheduled these aircraft to early 2012 and three more recently built, better-performing 747-8 freighters were moved to the 2011 delivery positions. William J. Flynn, President and Chief Executive Officer of Atlas Air Worldwide, said: “As prudent asset managers, terminating the first three aircraft was the right decision for our fleet, our customers and our stockholders. We expect the remaining 747-8Fs in our order to be better-performing aircraft than those we have terminated.”
Atlas Air now expects to receive three 747-8Fs in 2011, four in 2012, and two in 2013. The first five of these aircraft have been placed under long-term ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance) contracts, as previously announced. By year-end 2013, Atlas Air’s cargo operations are expected to include nine 747-8Fs and 24 747-400 freighters. It also expects to have two passenger 747-400s and three passenger 767-300s providing charter service to the U.S. military and other customers.
