Cargolux ferries first ex-ASL 747-400ERF to Luxembourg

Last Friday, a 747-400ERF (35234) previously operated by ASL Airlines Belgium was ferried to Cargolux’s main hub in Luxembourg. Following paint and maintenance, the aircraft will be the first of three incoming freighters the carrier will add to its fleet this year.

Shortly after the aircraft’s arrival, Cargolux shared photos of the aircraft on its Twitter feed:

In the next Cargo Chat interview with Air Cargo World, Domenico Ceci, vice president of sales and marketing for Cargolux, said the three used aircraft would give the carrier flexibility to add capacity where it was needed. Additionally, the incoming freighters will “provide for maintenance downtime as our 747-8F fleet are now also entering into more intensive maintenance checks.” Stay tuned for the complete interview with Ceci, which will appear in the May issue of Air Cargo World.

More concretely, Cargolux’s 747-8F fleet is nearing an age where they’ll soon require extensive D-Checks. A spokesperson for Cargolux confirmed that its first 747-8F to undergo a D-Check is already in maintenance (35806). A second 747-8F, meanwhile  (35809) will be taken out of service for a D-Check later this year.

As for the other two 747-400ERFs joining the Cargolux fleet, our sister publication, Cargo Facts has reported that two more aircraft currently operated by ASL Belgium will soon be headed to Luxembourg. Cargolux has not confirmed how soon the incoming aircraft will be repainted and could enter commercial service.