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The 27 Boeing 767-300ER planes will be delivered between 2009 and 2012, UPS said. The value of the contract was not disclosed Monday. At Boeing's catalogue prices, the order could be worth up to 4.02 billion dollars. However, air carriers rarely pull full price on large plane orders.

"The order for the 27 B-767s is not related to UPS's ongoing review of its order for 10 Airbus A380 freighters," UPS said in a statement.
In November, UPS rival FedEx became the first customer to abandon Airbus's much-delayed new A380 superjumbo, opting to buy Boeing planes instead in the latest blow to the crisis-hit European company.

FedEx, blaming "significant delays in delivery of the A380," said it was buying 15 new Boeing 777 Freighter planes, with options to purchase another 15.
That prompted speculation that UPS would also turn its back on the European plane, which is now two years behind schedule and not due to appear in its passenger guise until 2008. The cargo version is not due until 2010.

But UPS said at the time that it was merely reviewing the order for the giant European planes, which it intends to use on long-haul routes currently serviced by Boeing 747 and McDonnell Douglas-11 freighters.

Bob Lekites, UPS vice president for airline and international operations, said: "The Boeing 767-300ER freighter already is part of our current air fleet and we know from experience what a great workhorse it is.

"It's also a good answer to our fleet management needs because it provides great flexibility, fast time in transit and sound cost performance," he said.
UPS said it was enjoying strong growth in its international package business, with average export volume climbing 12 percent in 2006.

The wide-body 767 would be used on routes to Europe and Latin America, as well as on routes within Asia and Europe, and would "improve the efficiency and speed of its air network as it eventually replaces aging aircraft," UPS said.
UPS chief operating officer David Abney said the Boeing "is a great aircraft for the long-term needs of our company."

"It will support our global growth; it meets the strictest noise and emission standards in the US and Europe, and each one will have state-of-the-art navigation and collision avoidance systems that will serve us for years to come," he said.

The 767-300ER has a maximum payload of about 60 tons and a range of 3,000 nautical miles (5,556 kilometers). In its freighter guise, the A380 will offer over 150 tons of capacity and a range of 6,000 nautical miles (11,100 kilometers).