New Zealand boosts defence spend to US$6.6 billion and vows increased closeness with Australia
This budget will be spent over the next four years and nearly doubles the country’s defence spending as part of GDP to 2%.
Four ERJ 135s for SA Airlink
Embraer subsidiary ECC Leasing Company has leased four ERJ 135 pre-owned jets to South African Airlink.
The aircraft will replace some of the airline’s turboprops and are scheduled to be delivered by the end of January, making an important contribution to the transportation needs of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
“It is significant to Embraer that Airlink has chosen to source additional ERJ 135s from ECC, since this reaffirms the clear value that we, as the manufacturer, bring to the highly competitive pre-owned market. The ERJ 135 is a perfect fit for the airline’s network, and will certainly play a key role in the company’s future growth,” said Mark Dunnachie, managing
Director, ECC Leasing.
South African Airlink’s ERJ 135 jets, configured in a 37-seat layout, will be based in Johannesburg and deployed on regional routes that are expected to be increasingly busy, as the soccer World Cup event gets underway in June.
“We are very pleased to increase our fleet of ERJ 135 jets to meet the growing demand of our domestic and intra-regional markets,” said Rodger Foster, CEO of South African Airlink. “These regional jets will replace our oldest turboprops, improving reliability and quality of service. Travel time will be reduced, while providing a more comfortable cabin for our passengers. This is an opportune time for introducing larger and more efficient aircraft. Furthermore, we see clear benefits in dealing directly with the manufacturer, Embraer, through ECC.”
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