Listen: A week of 737-800F happenings and regional expansion

In this week’s episode of Cargo Facts Connect, Cargo Facts Editor Jeff Lee and Associate Editors Andrew Crider and Robert Luke discuss 737-800 freighter transactions involving companies like GOL, Texel Air and Northern Air Cargo. Several other transactions this week highlighted the growing popularity of 737NG freighters. The team then turns to Boeing’s medium widebody, with SF Airlines, DHL and Cargo Aircraft Management continuing their conversions and a new player moving into 767 freighters. Meanwhile, two different airlines are supplementing their regional fleets by taking delivery of Saab 340B aircraft. A transcript is available below. This transcript has been generated by software and is being presented as is. Some transcription errors may remain. Andrew Crider Hello, and welcome to this episode of cargo facts connect the podcast of cargo facts, the newsletter of record for the air cargo and freighter aircraft industries for over 40 years. I'm Andrew Crider, associate editor of cargo facts. Robert Luke And I'm Robert Luke, associate editor of cargo facts. Jeff Lee And I'm Jeff Lee, editor of cargo facts. Andrew Crider when I was out last week, so we have a lot to catch up on. Very excited reporting from my hometown in Richmond, Virginia, where a Antonov airlines an 124 visited earlier this week delivering a 70,000 pound generator for local Dominion energy always made for exciting bit of plane spotting. But this week was a week of firsts for many airlines, many AOCs and deliveries of stores. We will have more information next week hopefully about a new conversion line that will have its first delivery on it on a new continent. For conversion lines, that's not saying too much. As well as a brand new AOC being set up, finally finding out who will win the race to be the first domestically owned freighter airline in Vietnam. We'll have more on that next week. I want to spin it to Robert, who has more headlines with these popular 737 800 BCF Robert Luke thank you Andrew, I appreciate the transition. It was real smooth my man in the 737 800 BC F's the headlines for transaction this week, gol has taken delivery of its first 737 Next Gen conversion or at least from Aercap making its debut and all the all yellow color paint scheme. It was introduced down in Brazil and began operations on behalf of Mercado libre saltchuck aviation add a little spice to the transactions this week, the parent company of Northern Air Cargo received his first 737 800 on lease from aero capital solutions. And last but not least, Chisholm enterprises, the known parent company of texel air took delivery of its second 737 800 BCF to provide a CMI support for DHL out of Bahrain. So we have for this week on the Boeing front and regards to major headlining transactions, we will go ahead and ask Jeff, what are the aircraft can you provide on the on the cargo facts? Jeff Lee Let me just add a few more and actually, these weren't all BCFs like the aero capital solutions and Northern Air Cargo that was an SF but those aren't all the 7378 Hundreds. Bluebird Nordic in Iceland just officially took delivery of its third BCF on lease from affiliate company aviam am leasing. And interestingly, Air explore based in Slovakia, is now officially going to be the operator of its first 737 800 BCF as well, that's on lease from BBM. And they told us earlier this year that they're going to be operating that on behalf of a logistics company called RDS cargo group. And then we had a rather interesting story from China. And of course, as we know, the hna group is keen to expand its 737 800 freighter fleet, and tianjin air cargo looks like it's going to be adding a few more of those. But seven, six sevens also occupied much of our time this week, we saw quite a few movements. So SF airlines in China took its 16th 767 300 BCF and send another one to conversion. And it already has a few others in conversion too. So we'll definitely be adding more by the end of this year and certainly in the months to come, and it's already the largest operator of that particular type. Meanwhile, DHL and ATSG's cargo aircraft management also will continue to send more feedstock 767 300 ers for conversion, in this case in Guangzhou and Tel Aviv. And also AELF Flight Service, the company that has been operating a330 200 Passenger reconfigured passenger freighters they told us, I mean, we knew that they had acquired one or 2 767 300 ers, but and we had been wondering what exactly they were going to do with those. They had placed one of these on these with iaero airways. But now they've actually decided that they do want to move further into the freighter market and convert this one into a full freighter. And they are going to do that with iai but not in Tel Aviv, at the Mexicana mro facility in Mexico City. So that they expect that to come out of conversion round mid next year, and they have the option to convert a second one. So we'll see what they do with those because they do have they're looking at various ideas. They can either dry lease these freighters out they can operate them on wet lease, or they can sell them and of course the the 330s they they acquired a major stake in Malta based Maleth aero. So yeah, we'll see what they do with those but it is interesting that you know, get another company is moving into 767 freighter conversions. Andrew Crider Thanks for unloading all of that information. Jeff. Yo, just moving right. Right up the border from the conversion Hall on the cross the state line from aelf. We had a couple of regional freighter developments this week as well, majority of which occurred with the Saab 340 B. As we know the Saab 340 B has a distinct market share replacing older sub 340A's but we saw a few expansions for the type having carriers receiving their first so Castle aviation took one from jet stream to place with Canadian Express carrier purolator, which is will be joining a fleet of I believe let me let me check my notes here because either did Jeff correct me or wrong? It was dash eights that were in the Purolator like one hundreds, which you don't see every day and that's really exciting. You also had ameriflight receiving its first saab 340B and that's of a deal for 15. Now, I also spoke to castle shortly after expanding that story they have a few other developments will be receiving their first jet aircraft for passenger service and to having major expansions have their operating headquarters in Akron which is really exciting to hear for them good good. Good job guys. But the saab 340 wasn't the only regional freighter that we saw expansions for we have Natilus had selected its Pratt and Whitney Engine platform for its 3.8 tonne autonomous cargo aircraft. That's an aircraft that natilus hopes to have flying in a few short years they selected the Pratt and Whitney six A dash 67 D that that variant we also see on the beach 1900 for those of you who are wondering, the engine is currently rated for operations at about 50% Blend SAF. Also in the future aircraft industry. Reliable Robotics has reached a certification milestone with the Federal Aviation Administration filing paperwork called the G one issue paper. Now what that paper discusses is the rules and conditions that reliable robotics will use to earn its STC for its autonomous Cessna 206 caravan Jeff Lee 208 Andrew Crider I always get the 206 and two always confused. They both have a heavy, heavy wheel, but thanks for sure. Yeah, that'd be Nose Nose gear, one of one of which is a turbocharged engine and the other one irregular fuel injected I believe, but that's all we have for today. Or at least all I have to contribute. Robert Not to put you on the spot. Last week we didn't get to mention it but there was salam air I'd love to hear that again on the pod. Robert Luke Absolutely man, salam air made history by becoming the first operator to have an A 321 P two F based in their great land of Oman, and they took that aircraft with the combined support of salaam, the airline and sama air leasing with Matson czar here, and they were able to get the aircraft converted from St. Engineering and get it delivered over to in the airlines livery. And they are now officially going to be soon begin doing operations of conducting cargo movements throughout the region. So it was a monumental transaction as well as a historical moment for the region. And for a small carrier that just originally started operations like about what, six years ago to already be making such huge leaps and bounds in the cargo industry, after only being Jeff Lee It actually isn't in salam air's paint job just yet. it was ferried unpainted after conversion still having fragments of the previous operator Robert Luke well, I'm sure they're gonna make it look very presentable. Jeff Lee It will be because I do like the salam air paint job, it's going to be very colorful, and I do look forward to seeing it. And it is actually pretty fascinating and impressive for the airline to be taking on an A321 Freighter Andrew Crider Yeah, we've seen a lot of aircraft enter cargo service without their paint or even with a mishmash of improvised paint. I remember air Belgium seemed like it was a mishmash of paint with the hongyuan group. And there was the Air Canada seven six sevens that entered were rushed into service before hitting the paint shop, Jeff Lee the old air canada livery but yes, they actually and most notably, latam had one of their 767 bcfs. And in fact, it still is flying in this unpainted green primer on the on the cargo door and so they obviously don't have time to paint that aircraft just yet. Robert Luke Well, in this way guys, we just need we understand there's a pressing need to provide lift capacity, but come on, we expect to see the the liveries on airplanes and the airplanes that can fly Jeff Lee We do but not most people Andrew Crider Oh, speak for yourself. I like the old paints. But with the lack of time, I'm going to say that that's all the time that we have for today. For those of you listening, thank you. For more multimedia content like this. Check out cargo facts.com and search cargo facts connect on iTunes and Spotify. Join us again next time Subscribe to Cargo Facts Connect on iTunes or Spotify , or download the episode on Transistor . Cargo Facts Symposium, taking place LIVE Oct. 19-21 at the InterContinental San Diego, is the essential event for stakeholders in the air cargo industry. Learn more and register today to take advantage of early-bird pricing.

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