Moving to expand the capacity of its air network to accommodate strong international growth, United Parcel Service said yesterday that it ordered 10 A380 super-jumbo freighter aircraft made by Airbus.
UPS and Airbus also amended a previous order for A300 aircraft.
Deliveries of UPS' A380s start in 2009 and run through 2012. The order gives UPS the option to buy 10 more such planes. The purchase price of the aircraft was not disclosed.
Regarding the A300 aircraft, UPS is reducing its previous order for 90 planes to 53. To date, 40 A300s have been delivered. The remaining 13 will be delivered by July 2006.
The A380 can carry three decks of cargo with a container capacity of nearly 40,000 cubic feet and a maximum structural payload of 330,000 pounds. With a range of 5,600 nautical miles, the A380 can fly nonstop to places that used to take two or more flights.
During the third quarter of 2004, UPS' international export volume climbed 13.2 percent over the prior-year period. Asia export volume increased 29 percent, and export volume from China more than doubled compared with the prior year.
