Following the industrial launch of the A330 Freighter on January 17, 2007, MNG Airlines, a Turkish cargo operator, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding for two A330-200F plus one option. The Istanbul-based carrier herewith becomes a launch customer for the new Airbus freighter.

Established in February 1996, MNG Airlines initially began to provide scheduled cargo services in November 1997 to Hahn (Germany) and Stansted (England) with a middle range Airbus A300 freighter.

Today, MNG Airlines continues its cargo operations with 10 Airbus A300B4-200s 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.

Having the largest cargo fleet, with almost 85 per cent of the total capacity of Turkey, MNG Airlines is one of the most successful A300 operators in the world.

"Our intent today is to expand the operation of our fleet outside Europe, mainly to China and USA" said Mehmet Nazif Gunal, founder and CEO of MNG Companies Group. "We are fully convinced that by selecting the A330-200 Freighter aircraft, the newest member of the A330/A340 family, we will achieve our goals and operate the most modern and economic fleet of cargo aircraft in Turkey".

Airbus COO Customers, John Leahy, said "Airbus is very pleased with the close partnership it has built with Turkish carriers. The fact that MNG Airlines selects 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 from flight to flight. We're delighted that MNG Airlines is a launch customer for our A330 Freighter".

Depending on mode selected, the A330-200F can carry up to 64 metric tonnes over 4,000 nautical miles / 7,400 km or 69 metric tonnes up to 3,200 nautical miles / 5,930 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 percent more volume than any freighter in its class.

The A330-200F is a derivative of the very popular A330 Family aircraft with more than 60 operators worldwide. With a large number of aircraft in service it will enable a smooth introduction of the new all-cargo variant into existing A330 fleets. The A330-200F will also benefit from, as all the other Airbus aircraft in production, the now well recognised Airbus Fly-By-Wire technology enabling faster pilot transition to and from other Airbus aircraft, both passenger and freighter.