Dragonair signs agreement on tenth A330

Dragonair has signed an agreement with US-based International Lease Finance Corporation for a new Airbus A330, which when delivered in March 2004 will become the tenth A330 operated by the airline.

The leased wide-body aircraft will augment the airline's ongoing fleet  expansion plans, which will see two A321s enter service this summer, two A320s being delivered next year, and one A320 arriving in 2005.

"This new aircraft will be necessary given the expected growth we see in our operations going forward," said Stanley Hui, Dragonair's Chief Executive Officer. "The China mainland is our biggest market and it continues to expand in terms of both business and leisure travel, and we plan to deploy this A330 on routes there."

He added: "Leasing the aircraft provides us with the flexibility we have been building all along in our fleet."

The new A330 is powered by two Rolls Royce RB211 Trent 772, and features a twin-aisle, three-class cabin with seating capacity for 12 passengers in First Class, 42 in Business Class and 230 in Economy Class.