ASL leads EMEA narrowbody fleet expansion with 737-800BCF additions

Over the past calendar year, Ireland-based ASL Aviation Holdings added more narrowbody freighters than any other EMEA carrier after taking redelivery of five 737-800BCFs. With more passenger-to-freighter conversion programs having gained a nod from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), and with additional STCs on the way, fleet diversification in the region will accelerate. As of May 2020, only Boeing and IAI held EASA-recognized conversion STCs for 737NGs while EFW had only been awarded an STC for its A321-200P2F shortly before, in February 2020. AEI has since had its 737-800SF STC validated by European regulators and 321 Precision Conversions will soon also have its A321-200PCF program certified by EASA, with SmartLynx Malta to become the third operator of A321 freighters. The carrier will lease two from Vallair and operate them on an ACMI basis for DHL this year. [caption id="attachment_415147" align="alignright" width="560"] ASL has taken redelivery of five newly converted 737-800BCFs since last year. (Photo/ASL Aviation Holdings)[/caption] In the months leading up to May 2020, redeliveries of freighter-converted 737 Classics and 757-200s dominated placements to carriers in the region. Since then, narrowbody fleet activity and growth in the EMEA region has been highly concentrated among just a handful of carriers. Ahead of Cargo Facts EMEA 2021 , here’s a look at the fastest-growing narrowbody freighter fleets in the EMEA region from May 2020 to May 2021. The first part of our EMEA snapshot looked at widebody fleet growth. 1. ASL Aviation Holdings ASL is in the process of adding to its carrier fleets twenty new 737-800BCF conversions as part of a 2019 agreement with Boeing. The group has already taken redelivery of five units and placed four with its European affiliates: three (33641, ex-Pegasus, and 34178 and 33603, both ex-Ryanair) with ASL Airlines France and one (33604, ex-Ryanair) currently in paint in Shannon (SNN). 2. Aviastar-TU Russia-based Aviastar-TU has been steadily growing its fleet of 757-200Fs, with redeliveries from Precision Aircraft Solutions in July 2020 (27051, ex-American Airlines) and February (27056, ex-American Airlines) and April (27054, ex-American Airlines) of this year. 3. S7 Airlines Russia-based S7 Airlines is a newcomer to freighter operations and added two 737-800BCFs, one each in February (33545, ex-Ryanair) and March (29939, ex-Ryanair). Both these units were converted by Boeing and are leased from GECAS. 4. Atran and CargoLogic Germany Volga-Dnepr Group affiliate Atran also leased a third 737-800BCF (33548, ex-Ryanair) from GECAS in May and will soon take a fourth 737-800BCF (33717, ex-Ryanair). At the same time, Leipzig-based affiliate CargoLogic Germany will double its three-strong 737-400F fleet by the end of 2021, with the first of those additions (28752, ex-LOT) arriving in Leipzig (LEJ) May 19, on lease from Vx Capital. 5. Titan Airways U.K.-based Titan Airways became the second operator of freighter-converted A321-200s in January 2021 and is now the only carrier flying two A321Fs. Titan expects to continue growing its A321-200P2F fleet in 2021 and 2022. EMEA Regional Fleet Growth Turning now to smaller turboprop and regional freighters, while some fleets grew at a steady clip, service-entry of the first factory-built ATR 72-600F was another major milestone. In December 2020, FedEx Express took delivery of the first ATR 72-600F (1653) and handed it over to ASL Airlines Ireland for CMI operations. Within the ASL fleet, the production freighter replaced an ATR 42-300F. The most notable growth when it comes to regional freighters has come from Poland-based SprintAir, which introduced its first ATR 72-500F (686, ex-HOP) in September 2020 and added two more (717, ex-CanaryFly, and 704, ex-Chalair) this year, with another (575, ex-Passaredo Transportes Aereos) awaiting entry into service. The carrier, which mostly flies on behalf of express providers, also has six ATR 72-200Fs and around ten Saab 340Fs. Elsewhere, Spain-based CanaryFly launched freighter operations with its first ATR 72-500F (726) in December 2020, and recently converted another of its own passenger units (752), while Switzerland-based Zimex Aviation added an ATR 72-200F (222, ex-ASL Airlines Ireland) in December 2020 and another (364, ex-ASL Airlines Ireland) in May 2021. Cargo Facts EMEA, taking place June 2-3 as a virtual experience, is the event for exploring opportunity in the EMEA region. The event continues to bring together the best, brightest, and most innovative executives in the global air cargo industry. Learn more and register at www.cargofactsemea.com .

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