737-800 freighter redeliveries lead Q1 fleet additions

Redeliveries of freighter conversions outnumbered production freighter deliveries by a factor of three in the first quarter of 2021, with 737-800Fs accounting for around one-third of all new conversions redelivered.

During the first three months of the year, Cargo Facts recorded twenty-two new freighter redeliveries, including sixteen narrowbodies, five widebodies and a regional freighter.

When it comes to new-build freighters, however, the picture was very different. After a mad-dash rush to deliver production freighters in the final months of 2020, the first quarter of 2021 was a relatively quiet quarter for new deliveries. Boeing filled seven freighter orders to three customers during the three-month period, with almost all deliveries going into service with integrators. FedEx added to its fleet three 767-300Fs, UPS added a 747-8F, and China Airlines took delivery of a 777F, its third.

In comparison, during the first quarter of 2020, Boeing delivered seven aircraft: two 777Fs to DHL Express, two 767-300Fs to FedEx Express, two 777Fs to Turkish Airlines and a 767-300F to UPS.

The relative lull comes after a busy December. Boeing delivered a total of nine production freighters during the month of December 2020 alone, and although deliveries timed with the Q4 are normal, the final month of 2020 was exceptional and included a triple 777F delivery to Qatar Airways. In December 2019, Boeing delivered just one freighter, a 767-300F to FedEx.

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