Boeing 757

Courier delivery services firm FedEx will purchase 14 Boeing narrow-body 757 jetliners from United Airlines and plans to convert them into freighters, as part of its efforts to reduce fuel costs.

The agreement also includes an option for an additional 16 aircraft.

FedEx is expected to take delivery of initial batch of 14 airliners later this year and will continue taking deliveries into 2015.

The courier firm also has 70 mid-size wide-body 767s and long-range 777s on order.

In 2007, Tennessee-based FedEx started purchasing 757s, which can carry 20% more cargo and burn a third less fuel compared with the three-engine Boeing 727s.

Converting the 757 from passenger aicraft into a freighter is estimated to cost about $5m per aeroplane and could take three months to complete.

The aircraft that are being purchased from United Continental were all used on domestic routes.

"FedEx is expected to take delivery of initial batch of 14 airliners later this year and will continue taking deliveries into 2015."

As of 31 December, the airline operated a fleet of 233 757-200s, with 47 jets having an average age of 19 years.

Last year, United Airlines said that it would phase out its ageing 757s after placing a firm order for 150 Boeing 737-900ERs, 100 of them being the 737 Max version, which is scheduled to enter service before 2020.

The carrier will retain 757-300 aeroplanes, it owns nine and operates 12 on a leased basis, which are used primarily on transatlantic routes.

Powered by Rolls-Royce RB211 or Pratt & Whitney PW2000 series turbofans, the Boeing 757 offers 20% reduction in fuel consumption from the engines and an additional 10% from aerodynamic improvements, compared with the preceding 727.

Boeing had stopped production of the 757 in 2004, after delivering 1,050 of them to 54 customers.

Image: The Boeing 757 family includes the 757-200 and the larger 757-300. Photo: file image.

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