ABX Air, the US cargo carrier that flies mostly for DHL Express, has announced that it hascommitted to purchase 11 B767-200 passenger aircraft from Delta Air Lines. The aircraft are in
addition to the one B767-200 that ABX Air purchased and took delivery of from Delta Air Lines inJuly 2005. The passenger planes will be converted into freighters.The agreement calls for ABX Air to take delivery of six of the 11 aircraft in calendar year2006, two in 2007 and three in 2008, with payment due upon the delivery of each aircraft. ABX Airwill use a combination of borrowed and internally generated cash flows to purchase and modify alleleven aircraft for approximately $190 million.
ABX Air said it anticipated that Israel Aircraft Industries Ltd. will modify the aircraft frompassenger to freighter configuration. The modification will include the installation of a standardcargo door and an increase of the maximum takeoff weight to 351,000 lbs. The last of the elevenaircraft is expected to be in service in the fourth quarter of 2008.
“The Boeing 767-200 freighter has proven to be an extremely reliable and cost-effective mediumwide-body aircraft,” said Joe Hete, president and CEO of ABX Air. “The acquisition and modificationof these aircraft will permit us to grow our non-DHL air cargo operations and further diversify ourrevenue base.”
ABX Air operates a fleet of 116 in-service aircraft out of its Wilmington, Ohio, base and 18other hubs throughout the United States. It was split off from the former Airborne Express inAugust 2003 as part of the latter’s acquisition by DHL.
