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Contact:
Barbara Raines |
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Contact:
Barbara Raines |
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
97-105
ISTANBUL, Turkey, May 8, 1997 -- Onur Air has accepted delivery
here at Atatürk Airport of two MD-88 aircraft. This marks
the premier entry of McDonnell Douglas (NYSE: MD) commercial jetliners
into the Istanbul-based airline's fleet.
Onur Air ordered five MD-88 twin jets in October 1995. The
airline is scheduled to receive its third aircraft later this
week. Deliveries are also scheduled for the end of this month
and in late June.
"We are pleased to add the MD-88 to our fleet,"
said H. Cankut Bagana, chairman of Ten Tour and president of Onur
Air. "The aircraft's outstanding track record as the workhorse
of the industry makes the MD-88 a perfect choice for our charter
operations."
"The aircraft's high reliability and excellent operating
economics were important considerations in Onur Air's choice of
the MD-88," said Don Black, vice president-general manager
of sales and marketing for Douglas Aircraft Co., the commercial
jetliner division of McDonnell Douglas. "And we look forward
to many years of an extremely productive relationship with our
friends here at Onur Air."
Onur Air plans to fly the intermediate range jetliners on
routes between Turkey and destinations in western Europe and the
eastern Mediterranean. The airline will operate the aircraft
in a charter configuration, featuring 172 seats in the traditional,
passenger-preferred McDonnell Douglas five-across seat rows.
Ten Tour, the parent company of Onur Air, owns resorts, hotels
and other transportation holdings, and has a substantial share
of the tourism market throughout Europe and the Middle East.
The MD-88 is one of five aircraft models in the MD-80 family,
which also includes the MD-81, MD-82, MD-83 and MD-87. The wingspan
for all models is 107 feet, 10 inches (32.86 meters). The MD-88,
MD-81, MD-82, and MD-83 are 147 feet, 10 inches (45.05 meters) long and
accommodate up to 172 passengers. A fifth model, the MD-87, is 130.4
feet (39.7 meters) in length, with a maximum passenger capacity of 139.
All MD-80s are powered by two Pratt & Whitney JT8D-200 series turbofan
engines.
Douglas Aircraft Co. builds the MD-80 aircraft family at
its Long Beach, Calif., plant and has delivered more than 1,140
of the twin jets to date.