Movers and shakers: Amazon and Chinese Express (global express fleet – Part II)

Yesterday, in part I , we began our four-part analysis of the worldwide express freighter fleet. Today in Part II, we’ll examine the fleets of relative newcomers to the industry, such as Amazon , SF Airlines and YTO Cargo Airlines . Tomorrow, Part III continues with a company-by-company overview of the three largest integrators, FedEx , UPS and DHL, while Part IV concludes with a look at the ACMI operators that do much of the flying on behalf of the integrators. Examining major express fleet changes by company, the stand-out continues to be Amazon, with fleet growth of 32% or 13 units, during the period since May 31, 2018. While in recent years, the number of 767-200Fs and -300Fs operated on a CMI basis by Air Transport Services Group (ATSG) and Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings has grown rapidly, this year the Amazon Air operation added its first narrowbody freighters – three 737-800BCFs. Unlike the 767Fs, which Amazon dry leases from ATSG and AAWW, Amazon has agreed to dry lease at least twenty 737-800BCFs from GECAS. Southern Air is contracted to operate five 737-800BCFs by year-end, and could eventually operate up to twenty for Amazon Air. As Amazon’s Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky (CVG) hub begins to take shape, however, the Amazon Air operation is widely expected to add more than twenty 737-800BCFs. As for the e-tailer’s 767F fleet, ATSG will put an additional six freighter-converted 767-300Fs into service for Amazon in 2019, and at least four more in 2020 – but likely more. If Amazon does not exercise options for additional 767-300Fs beyond the four it is already committed to in 2020, its 767F fleet should stand at 50 units by year-end 2020. Shenzhen-based SF Airlines, the air arm of SF Express, leads among China’s express operators in fleet growth for the year. The airline began operating fifteen additional freighters since May 31, 2018 – one 737-300F, two 737-400Fs (operated by Longhao Airlines) and seven 757-200Fs. SF Express ACMI-leased a 747-400F from Atlas Air and put into service two ex-Jade Cargo 747-400ERFs that it had acquired late in 2017 in an auction on Alibaba’s Taobao website. SF Airlines is expected to continue expanding its fleet of 757s and 767 conversions as the market allows. In 2018, the company bid on rights to twenty 767-300ER airframes slated to exit service with American Airlines over the next few years. ATSG ultimately nabbed rights to those aircraft. The company is targeting a freighter fleet of 100 by 2022, according to a presentation from George Li, VP SF Express, at Cargo Facts Asia 2019. Like SF Airlines, Hangzhou-based YTO Cargo airlines has grand ambitions, but recent fleet growth has been moderate. Although YTO added three 757-200PCFs in 2018, it did not add a single aircraft in 2019. The carrier told Cargo Facts it will add 737-800BCFs, for which it was a launch customer, when suitable feedstock becomes available. The carrier is also evaluating additional 757-200PCFs and larger-gauge aircraft as it looks to international routes for growth. After a period of relative stability, China Postal Airlines this year took delivery of the first two of ten 737-800BCF conversions the carrier is committed to as part of a 2015 agreement with Boeing. All fleet additions since 2015 have been 757-200Fs. The carrier has already begun to retire older narrowbody freighters in its fleet. One 737-300F on lease from GECAS (25172) has already been placed with a new operator, Mongolian Airways Cargo. Unlike SF and YTO, China Postal has not publicly expressed interest in adding widebody freighters to its own-operated fleet. Late last year, China Post and Lufthansa Cargo entered into a “Joint Freight Operation” agreement, under which China’s National Post will leverage capacity on Lufthansa Cargo flights to improve e-commerce-driven air mail transportation between China and Europe. Initially, Lufthansa Cargo will provide the Post with cargo capacity between Shanghai and Frankfurt that is “equivalent” to a weekly 777F flight. Tomorrow, Part III of our express fleet analysis continues with a company-by-company overview of the three largest integrators, FedEx , UPS and DHL

Movers and shakers: Amazon and Chinese Express (global express fleet – Part II)

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