9 carriers start flying narrowbody freighters in 2025

The continued emergence of new narrowbody operators in 2025 revealed that the pulse is still beating in the segment despite sluggish demand. Carriers launching narrowbody freighter service this year boosted the segment after multiple carriers, including BBN Airlines Nordic , iAero Airways and Raindo United Services, ceased operations in 2024. Here are the nine carriers that began narrowbody freighter operations for the first time in 2025, listed alphabetically. 1. 7Air The Miami-based startup received FAA approval in February before launching operations in May. 7Air fulfilled its fleet goal for the year after taking delivery of its fourth 737-800 freighter on lease from Flight Lease in September. 7Air, which expects to add up to four more 737-800Fs by the end of 2026, announced Michael Mendez, former 21 Air chief operations officer, as its new chief executive in May. 2. Aero Nusantara Cargo [caption id="attachment_57294007" align="alignright" width="360"] (Courtesy/Aero Nusantara Cargo)[/caption] The Indonesia-based carrier became the latest narrowbody startup to launch this year after acquiring an ex-Central Airlines 737-300F (26854) from Aircraft Finance Germany. The carrier received its AOC from the country’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation in November and made its first flight on Nov. 19 to Morowali, Indonesia (MWS), from Jakarta (HLP). Aero Nusantara plans to add one more 737-300F and is eyeing the addition of a 737NG freighter in 2026, it told Cargo Facts . 3. Braspress Air Cargo The Brazil-based carrier obtained certification from the Brazilian Civil Aviation Authority in April. Brazil’s newest narrowbody freighter operator launched flights in May with two 737-400SFs flying between Sao Jose dos Campos (SJK) and Campinas (VCP). Braspress took delivery of its first ex-ASL Airlines 737-400SF (29207) in February 2024, with a sister unit (29206) arriving in Natal (NAT) that June. 4. Eastern Air Express [caption id="attachment_57294005" align="alignright" width="360"] (Courtesy/SEMAN Peru)[/caption] Eastern Air Holdings returned to service the only 737 Classic freighter included in the March 2024 acquisition of iAero Airways’ twenty-nine 737 aircraft . The 1986-vintage 737-300F (23538) was the sole freighter iAero owned. The five 737-800BDSFs and two 737-800SFs iAero flew for DHL were returned after Eastern told Cargo Facts that it did not plan to continue flying them for the express company. Unit 23538 returned from a heavy maintenance check in Lima, Peru (LIM), in January before joining the Eastern Air Express fleet in April. 5. My Freighter The Uzbekistan-based carrier entered the narrowbody segment in the first quarter, taking delivery of a 757-200PCF on lease from Titan Aviation Leasing. The 2001-vintage, RB211-powered unit (32386) is one of three 757-200PCFs Amerijet returned to the lessor in 2024. Unit 32386 complements My Freighter’s fleet of four 767-300BCFs and four 767-300BDSFs operating primarily between Asia and Europe. 6. Royal Air Philippines [caption id="attachment_57294003" align="alignright" width="360"] (Courtesy/Clark International Airport)[/caption] Southeast Asia welcomed a new A321 freighter operator this year when Royal Air Philippines began flying a pair of ex-SmartLynx A321-200PCFs (1487 and 2303) owned by Chinese state-owned Nanning Communications Investment Group . The carrier launched service between Nanning, China (NNG), and Clark, Philippines (CRK), in August, becoming the first Philippine airline to operate Airbus narrowbody freighters. 7. SkyGuard Uzbekistan-based SkyGuard started flying its first aircraft (28833) in May after obtaining its AOC in January, operating from Muscat, Oman (MCT), to India, Bangladesh and the United Arab Emirates. SkyGuard took delivery of a second 757-200PCF on lease from AerSale in October. The RB211-powered, 2001-vintage unit 32388 arrived in Tashkent (TAS) on Oct. 2. 8. SolitAir [caption id="attachment_57294004" align="alignright" width="360"] (Courtesy/BBAM)[/caption] The UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority granted an AOC to SolitAir in March. After dry-leasing its first 737-800BCF (33023) from ASL Airlines Ireland, SolitAir has added three 737-800 freighters from two other lessors. The carrier took delivery of a 737-800BCF (33567) from BBAM in June, then in the second half of the year received two 737-800BDSFs (34014 and 33997) on lease from World Star Aviation. 9. Warsaw Cargo Poland-based Warsaw Cargo received its AOC from the Polish Civil Aviation Authority in August after taking delivery of its first A321-200PCF on lease from CAM in July. The startup launched narrowbody freighter service in November, becoming the third freighter operator in Poland, joining SkyTaxi and SprintAir . Cargo Facts will present four invaluable events for airfreight professionals in the first half of 2026, starting with Cargo Facts LATAM, on Feb. 10-12. To see the agendas and register for the events, visit CargoFactsEvents.com .

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