Avion Aircraft Trading, which is partly owned by Air Atlanta Icelandic parent HF Eimskip, signed an MOU with Airbus yesterday for six A330-200Fs with deliveries slated for 2010 and 2011. "Its payload range characteristics will open up new possibilities for our airline customers paired with very attractive operating costs," AAT CEO David Masson said. The -200F can carry up to 64 tonnes of cargo and has a range of 4,000 nm. in standard configuration.

Rockwell Collins was selected yesterday by Boeing to provide the avionics system for the 747-8 Intercontinental and -8 freighter. Value was not disclosed for the deal, which includes the entire suite of flightdeck displays as well as autopilot, communication, navigation, surveillance, maintenance, emergency and data management systems. The 747-8F is scheduled to enter service in late 2009 with initial deliveries to Cargolux and Nippon Cargo Airlines (ATWOnline, Nov.

Pinnacle Airlines announced that its newly acquired regional subsidiary Colgan Air will operate 15 Q400s as a Continental Connection carrier (ATWOnline, Feb. 5). Pinnacle, which flies 127 CRJs as a Northwest Airlink partner, will purchase the turboprops from Bombardier subject to a loan arrangement. Deliveries to Colgan are scheduled to begin in December and run through June 2008.

UPS said yesterday it ordered 27 767-300ERFs for delivery from 2009 to 2012. The aircraft, valued at more than $3.8 billion, are necessary to keep pace with international traffic demand and for fleet renewal, the company said. UPS was the launch customer for the first 767 freighter in 1995. The -300ERF can carry 24 containers on its upper deck and seven in the lower cargo compartments, according to the airline. It has a maximum payload of 132,200 lb. and a range of 3,000 nm.

ELTA said it was awarded a Boeing SFE for its ADT406 S emergency locator transmitter specified for the 787. ELTA said the contract could be worth more than $5 million over the life of the program.