They have some even earlier B2 models: http://www.airliners.net/open.file/218952/M/ On 9 May 02, at 16:31, Leo Futia wrote: > they have the A300B4. > > Let me re-post the Air India thing from BBC > > Disregard the other message thx! > > From BBC UK > India has offered to provide three Airbus A-300 aircraft to Afghanistan's > Ariana Airline to help rebuild the country's flag carrier. "Despite a severe > shortage of aircraft, we will have to give the three planes because of > diplomatic compulsions " Air India > > "The first of the three aircraft currently with Air India will be handed over > to Ariana Airlines by the end of this month," Indian Civil Aviation Minister > Syed Shahnawaz Hussain said after meeting with visiting Afghanistan > counterpart, Zalmai Rasool. Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed on Monday to > restore air links by operating weekly flights between the two capitals, > Islamabad and Kabul, later this month. "Both India and Pakistan have a deep > interest in what happens in Afghanistan, which has said it needs training air > traffic controllers and rebuilding airports and India is very keen to get in > on that side also," Tom Ballantyne, the chief correspondent of Orient > Aviation told the BBC's World Business Report. The resumption of flights > comes despite continuing rocket attacks against a number of airports in > Afghanistan. European routes Mr Hussain said three Indian pilots would fly > the aircraft for three months and that India had also offered to train Afghan > pilots. "Most of the fleet was decimated by US air strikes, but it still has > a small network," said Mr Ballantyne. "Air India is in the midst of > re-fleeting and these aircraft are some of the first they would have got rid > of." Ariana Airlines plans to operate routes to London, Frankfurt and Paris > with the three aircraft. Ariana currently owns one Boeing 727-200 Advance > Series, and one Antonov 24 which fly to Delhi, Dubai, Herat and Dushanbe. The > carrier has only recently resumed international services after they were > stopped in 1999 due to UN economic sanctions against Afghanistan to try and > force the handover by the Taleban government of Osama bin Laden. Political > strike One Air India official reportedly expressed his concern over the loss > of three planes from its ageing fleet. "Despite a severe shortage of > aircraft, we will have to give the three planes because of diplomatic > compulsions," the Air India official was reported as saying. "The airline has > been cutting routes and really needs more aircraft to keep our dwindling > market share," the official added. Air India, which the government has failed > to privatise several times, has been trying to buy new aircraft because > several of its current fleet are nearly 20 years old. Under fire Meanwhile, > at least four rockets hit eastern Afghanistan's key airport of Jalalabad on > Wednesday, the Afghan Islamic Press reported. Other such facilities in > eastern Afghanistan, particularly the Khost airport, have been frequently hit > by rocket attacks in recent weeks. The Jalalabad and Khost airports serve as > US and British military bases for operations in Afghanistan. > > > > > Leo/ORD > -- Niels