7Air preps for widebody expansion

Miami-based 7Air is preparing to expand into the medium-widebody segment as it continues to operate with a reduced fleet of two 737-800 freighters. With two Aircastle 737-800SFs parked in Miami since June 9 after the lessor sued 7Air to repossess them, the carrier is looking for a third 737-800 freighter and has begun the certification process for its first 767 freighter, Interim Chief Executive Iraq Pacheco told Cargo Facts . [caption id="attachment_57298026" align="aligncenter" width="1253"] 7Air got its AOC in 2025. (Courtesy/7Air Cargo)[/caption] 7Air hopes to obtain certification for the medium-widebody freighter by the end of October and start revenue flights in November, Pacheco said. Replevin filed Aircastle filed a lawsuit against 7Air after issuing multiple demand letters to collect $918,553.61 in overdue lease payments, maintenance reserves and security deposits for two ex-SpiceJet 737-800SFs (34799 and 33597) from February 2025 through May 2026, according to its June 2 complaint filed with the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida, which serves Miami-Dade County. Aircastle also claimed that it had not consented to the Miami-based carrier selling all its equitable interests to Ball Air Holdings. Multiple factors may have driven Aircastle’s lawsuit, Mark Lessard, partner and global head of finance and restructuring at New York-based law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, told Cargo Facts . “A lessor is much more likely to take repossession action when they have a higher and better for use for the aircraft in the market,” he said. “Here, we have a startup carrier with very few aircraft that fell significantly behind on rent, in a market where the engines alone can often get more in rent than a narrowbody freighter.” On the other hand, lessors tend to have more patience with larger, more established carriers, even if they are having financial difficulties, especially if they believe that carrier could be a source of future business, Lessard added. Aircastle agreed in 2024 to lease units 34799 and 33597 to 7Air. The lessor estimated in its lawsuit that unit 34799 is valued at around $20 million and unit 33597 at around $19 million. Two 737-800BCFs remain 7Air’s two other 737-800 freighters , both BCFs, are on lease from Flight Lease. “We are continuing to work with the lessee as they transition to new ownership and remain hopeful we can work something out,” Flight Lease Partner David Manoogian told Cargo Facts . “Thus far, we have been pleased with the new ownership.” This is the second time in three years that units 34799 and 33597 have been involved in a lawsuit. Aircastle sued India-based SpiceJet in 2023 to repossess the two aircraft, although that was in their previous life as passenger planes. As part of insolvency proceedings Aircastle initiated against SpiceJet in India's National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), it sought $5.6 million in unpaid lease obligations for unit 34799 and $6.1 million for unit 33597, according to documents filed with the NCLT. SpiceJet eventually paid $5.6 million to Aircastle as part of a broader settlement in October 2024. Cargo Facts Symposium 2026, the premier event for the freighter aircraft and air cargo industries, will take place in Nashville, Tenn., on Oct. 21-23. Find out more and register by Sept. 4 to take advantage of early-bird pricing.

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