ICBC to buy 747-8 Freighters?

According to a Bloomberg report, China-based ICBC Financial Leasing Co. is in talks with Boeing about the purchase of four or five 747-8Fs, with the intent of leasing them to South Korea-based Asiana.

ICBC Leasing is the commercial finance arm of Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, the world’s largest bank by total assets and market capitalization. The report quoted “people familiar with the matter,” but, as might be expected, none of the companies involved would comment.

Asiana currently operates four 747-400Fs and six 747-400BDSFs. Unlike many of its competitor in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, Asiana has made no changes to its freighter fleet since adding the -400BDSFs several years ago, and a move to replace these converted freighters with modern, fuel-efficient 747-8Fs or 777Fs makes sense.