Air Hong Kong (AHK) has transferred a second A330F to its own air operator’s certificate (AOC). While the first was a freighter-converted A330-300F (116, ex-Malaysia Airlines), the latest is a production A330-200F (1414, ex-ASL Airlines Ireland).
Unit 1414 is one of five production A330-200Fs DHL Express acquired from Abu Dhabi-based Etihad in 2018. It was handed over to ASL Airlines Ireland at the end of 2018 to be operated on an ACMI basis for AHK, which previously told Cargo Facts it would be brought under its own AOC in early 2020. The aircraft, which ASL told Cargo Facts was transferred to AHK about two weeks ago, had been on the ground in Hong Kong (HKG) for around a month during the reregistration process and entered service with AHK on March 26.
Unit 116 was the first A330-300F redelivered by EFW. The second aircraft (127, ex-Hi Fly), also redelivered to DHL in 2018 and operated by ASL for AHK, departed HKG and arrived back in Leipzig (LEJ) on March 30. ASL confirmed it will continue to operate the aircraft but declined to say whether it would be for DHL around Europe.
Another of the five A330-200Fs DHL took from Etihad (1032, ex-EAT Leipzig) has been reregistered under ASL Airlines Ireland and was ferried to HKG last week. DHL and ASL both confirmed the aircraft is now being operated by ASL for AHK.
ASL’s A330 fleet remains unchanged, with one production A330-200F (1032) and two freighter-converted A330-300Fs (127 and 231). It is currently unclear whether any more A330Fs will be transferred to AHK’s AOC.
AHK, a wholly owned Cathay Pacific subsidiary since January 2019, has a fifteen-year block space agreement with DHL. The carrier now has nine A300-600Fs, one A330-200F (1414) and an A330-300F (116) under its own AOC. Excluding unit 127, ASL also operates units 1032 and 231 for AHK.
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