JEDDAH: As demand for freight and express services surges, TNT SAB Express will add three new Boeing 777-200 Long Ranger Freighters to its fleet in 2011, after it has signed an agreement with Guggenheim Aviation Partners, LLC, for the delivery and lease of the aircraft. The first aircraft will be in service by July 2011, while the two other aircraft will be delivered by end of 2011. The B777 freighter offers a maximum payload of 107 tons compared to the 117 tons payload of TNT's current fleet of B747s. However, the B777 has superior range capability as it carries more payload than a 747 over distances greater than 13,000 kilometers. Nael Attiyat, sales and marketing director, TNT SAB Express, said: “The deployment of our first B777 aircraft from Europe to Asia demonstrates TNT's commitment to delivering the latest innovative customer-centric services to meet and exceed our customers' requirements and provide them with unparalleled connectivity and reliable express solutions.” “Like the legacy 747, the B777 is a mature and very successful product and the most fuel efficient freighter aircraft available, while offering near equivalent performance to our 747 capacity. Its performance and versatility are just excellent for the type of long-haul service we operate. These aircrafts will also contribute to our efforts to reduce CO2 emissions, which generates a positive impact on the environment and reaffirms TNT's environmental concern as we continue to grow our business and network,” he added. The B777 freighters will operate on long-haul routes from Europe to Asia. On these routes, TNT currently operates a fleet of two B747-400ERFs and two B747-400ERFs on short-term lease. The new B777 freighters will reduce TNT's reliance on commercial line-haul and external short-term contract capacity, while providing the capacity required to support the company's growth in Asia.
