Airbus weighs new A330 cargo model, spurred by Amazon

Airbus is considering building a freighter version of its slow-selling A330neo wide-body, spurred by requests from potential customers Amazon.com and United Parcel Service, according to people familiar with the matter. The interest from Amazon and UPS could rekindle a competition between Airbus and Boeing as the global air-cargo market rebounds from a decade-long slump. Production of the popular Boeing 767 freighter has been restricted as the US manufacturer focuses on a military tanker variant that is more than a year behind schedule, the people said. If Airbus goes ahead, the cargo model could help lift sales of the A330neo, a re-engined version of the European planemaker’s smallest wide-body, which has struggled in the marketplace. The aircraft has garnered 214 orders and lost a sale this month after Hawaiian Airlines switched to Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner. Airbus declined to comment, as did Amazon. UPS studies options for acquiring new and used aircraft as a matter of routine, spokesman Glenn Zaccara said in an email, adding: “Anything you may be hearing is speculation.’’<br/>