Carriers expand regional freighter fleet with mixed growth

In a year characterized by lower demand for air cargo services, regional freighter activity remained consistent with lift capacity growing 2.5% year-over-year as carriers renewed fleets with a mix of new, used, production and conversion types. Fifty-seven operators worldwide had 327 regional freighters in service with payload capacities of about 3.4 tonnes to about 9 tonnes as of Nov. 20, according to Cargo Facts research. “The demand for our aircraft remains quite broadly robust,” Stuart Klaskin, chief executive of Jetstream Aviation Capital, the largest lessor of Saab 340s, told Cargo Facts in September. However, even Jetstream’s customers have experienced challenges due to weak demand in the domestic and international markets, he said. “What we’re starting to see from our customers is what I think is going to be a general moderation, a little bit of upswing from the bottom,” Klaskin said. “Remember, most of our customers and most regional turboprop operators are flying broadly in two segments: integrator support flying for FedEx, DHL, UPS, Purolator, etc., where they’re flying contractual markets, or they’re doing ad hoc, moving just-in-time cargo, some Amazon, but principally driven by the auto parts industry.” New types incoming The subtle signs of industry growth have aligned with new developments for at least four turboprop freighter conversion programs seeking approval. [caption id="attachment_57146956" align="aligncenter" width="1100"] De Havilland is developing three different Dash 8-400 conversions. (Courtesy/De Havilland)[/caption] De Havilland Aircraft of Canada told Cargo Facts at the Farnborough International Airshow in July that it had obtained certification for its Dash 8-400 Quick Change conversion from Transport Canada and was awaiting EASA validation. The manufacturer is also working on its Dash 8-400 Package Freighter and large-cargo-door conversions and expects to complete the approval process in 2025, it said. ACIA Aero Leasing ferried an ATR 72-600 to the Empire Aerospace facility in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho (COE), in August ahead of what will be the first large-cargo-door conversion of the type . Empire expected to begin structural modifications on the 2015-vintage prototype (1239, ex-Tsaradia) at the end of September, Empire told Cargo Facts at the time, with ACIA saying that it hopes to have the freighter available by the end of the first half of 2025. Meanwhile, approval of Taby Air Maintenance’s Saab 2000F conversion program remains in a holding pattern while EASA completes its analysis of the smoke-evacuation system . The ex-Eastern Airlines prototype (037) will begin certification flights with EASA in January 2025, TAM told Cargo Facts . The pending arrival of new regional turboprop freighter types did not prevent carriers from actively engaging in fleet transactions globally. ATRs lead pack ATR 72 freighters accounted for most of the freighter aircraft transactions in the regional sector over the past twelve months, with a net growth of eight aircraft year over year. Most recently, Canada-based Air Creebec acquired an ex-Amazon ATR 72-500F (727) from ACIA Aero Leasing in November and will soon return the turboprop to service . Unit 727 completed a large-cargo-door conversion at the Empire facility at COE before Creebec purchased the aircraft. [caption id="attachment_57146924" align="aligncenter" width="1314"] Pattaya Airways has leased two ATR 72-500Fs from ACIA Aero Leasing. (Courtesy/IPR Conversions)[/caption] ACIA expanded its global reach in 2024. The lessor delivered two 1995-vintage ATR 72-212Fs (467 and 460, ex-Solenta Aviation Gabon) on lease to Aerlink, the first large-cargo-door ATR 72 freighters to be registered in Australia. Units 467 and 460 arrived in Brisbane (BNE) in January and May, respectively. The leasing company marked d another milestone when it leased the first ATR 72 freighter registered in Thailand to Pattaya Airways this year. The startup took delivery of the 2007-vintage ATR 72-500F (745, ex-Air Corsica) in April before adding a sistership (742) on lease from ACIA in June. A new operator of the production ATR 72-600F emerged this year, with Spain-based Swiftair starting CMI service for FedEx in September. Three units (1762, 1763 and 1764) are now in operation on behalf of the express integrator. Elsewhere, Estonia-based Airest began operating its first ATR 72-500F in June after taking delivery of the 2004-vintage aircraft (715, ex-Afrijet) on lease from Petrus Aviation. The cargo charter and ACMI service provider added the bulk-configured regional turboprop to its fleet of five Saab 340AFs to increase its lift capacity in the region. Summit Air joined the list of Canadian operators adding ex-European ATR 72Fs to their fleets when it acquired two ex-Zimex Aviation ATR 72-200Fs (449 and 222) in May. Unit 449 arrived in Quebec City (YQB) on May 28 while unit 222 was flown to Sofia (SOF) on May 31 to complete maintenance before joining the Summit Air fleet. In Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo-based Gomair added its first ATR 72 freighter while Kenya-based Renegade Air expanded its freighter fleet with a 2009-vintage ATR 72-500F (875, ex-Trujet) on lease from Ireland-based Abelo. SkyCourier grows presence ATR freighters will continue to provide large regional turboprop support for payloads of 6 tonnes to 9 tonnes as the new Cessna SkyCourier freighter paves a path in the 3 tonnes or under segment. The in-service fleet of Textron Aviation’s Cessna 408 SkyCourier freighters grew 47% YoY to twenty-eight as of Nov. 20 as the aircraft manufacturer ramped up deliveries to launch customer FedEx and other operators two years after receiving certification from the FAA . [caption id="attachment_57146922" align="aligncenter" width="2008"] Everts added its first SkyCourier freighter in 2024. (Courtesy/Everts Air)[/caption] FedEx increased its SkyCourier fleet to twenty-three aircraft when it took delivery of unit 408-0030 on Nov. 19. It flew the regional turboprop to the Corporate Air facility in Fargo, N.D. (FAR), to become the fifth Cessna production freighter it has assigned to the carrier. FedEx has disbursed its SkyCouriers among three feeder carriers: Twelve with Denver, N.C.-based Mountain Air Cargo ; Six with Hayden, Idaho-based Empire Airlines ; and Five with Billings, Mont.-based Corporate Air. Another unit joined FedEx on Nov. 21 and also went to FAR for Corporate Air. The express company expects to add twelve more SkyCouriers by May 31, 2025. Textron, which obtained FAA approval for its SkyCourier Combi modification in May, has delivered the full freighter to four customers other than FedEx: Everts Air Cargo has one; Bering Air has two; Lanaʻi Air has one; and Kamaka Air has one. Saab 340Fs have plenty in the tank While some older freighters are ushered out of fleets to make way for new types like the SkyCourier, the Saab 340F continues to see demand from carriers as it remains nestled between that new freighter and the ATR 72F. Saab 340 freighter operators are replacing the -340A model with the -340B and -340B Plus variants, which could have contributed to the net decrease in the number in service to forty-five from forty-six a year ago. [caption id="attachment_57146921" align="aligncenter" width="2184"] Castle Aviation is one of the major Saab 340 freighter operators in the United States. (Courtesy/Castle Aviation)[/caption] “The Saab 340F has plenty of operational life,” Donald Kramenz, vice president of marketing and sales at Jetstream, told Cargo Facts . “It’s far from its operational life in terms of the amount of cycles, hours flown, and so on. It’s supported by a very active OEM in the marketplace that continues to increase the options on the aircraft to align with market needs.” This sentiment is reflected in the actions of carriers including Pascan Aviation , which has leased a 1990-vintage unit (340B-219) from Jetstream and will soon become Canada’s first operator to place a Saab 340 freighter on its AOC after Transport Canada certified the type on Nov. 14. In the U.S., operators include Ameriflight, Berry Aviation, Castle Aviation and IBC Airways. Most recently, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based IBC took delivery of its fifth Saab 340BF in September as part of a deal to replace the Saab 340A freighters in its fleet with the help of Jetstream. Over the past thirteen years, IBC has leased fifteen Saab 340Fs from the lessor. “The Saab 340B or -340B Plus with the highest time in the global portfolio has reached about 60% of its current service life,” Jetstream’s Klaskin said. “So, if you think about that, there’s so much life left ahead of that airplane.” Register now for Cargo Facts' essential regional events for industry stakeholders: Cargo Facts LATAM 2025 on Feb. 10-11 at the Pullman Sao Paulo Guarulhos Airport in Brazil; Cargo Facts Asia 2025 on March 24-26 at the W Shanghai in China; and Cargo Facts EMEA 2025 on May 6-8 at the Shangri-La Bosphorus in Turkey.

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