Just when you thought the 767 was headed for the Smithsonian, they land a big order. UPS announced it ordered 27 new Boeing 767-300ER freighters to support its growing package business while providing broad options for the management of its jet fleet.
This comes as a surprise; we thought the A330F was the first choice. UPS operates 32 767s. It appears the idea of adding a fleet type did not sit well at UPS. Only the A300-600 compares and that plane is no longer being offered.
A side note here is, of course, that the 767 program gets a shot in the arm now while everyone waits for the USAF tanker program to move forward.
So how much is UPS is paying for helping Boeing keep the 767 line open? The plane retails for $143-$155m and nobody pays retail. For the 767 line to stay open, Boeing were more generous than normal. The 767 was not necessarily the first choice. Airbus apparently could not reopen the A300F line for a low enough price. The 767-300ERF has a capacity of ~132,000 lbs compared to the ~121,000lbs for the A300F and more range. So in the end UPS did a very good deal.
