Listen: Connecting the dots on some quads and twins

This week served up another helping of 737-800F news, with ASL Aviation Holdings ordering ten firm 737-800BCF conversions with Boeing in addition to options for ten more, and new carrier Camex Airlines expecting to add its first two 737-800BCFs later in 2022. In this episode of “Cargo Facts Connect,” Cargo Facts Deputy Editor Jeff Lee and Associate Editor Andrew Crider discuss the continuing uptake of 737-800s. They then take a look at a curious announcement about A340-600s before turning to a brief update on freighters in Russia. 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 your host Jeff Lee, deputy editor of cargo facts. Jeff Lee And I'm Andrew Crider, Associate Editor. Andrew Crider We begin today with a couple sneak peeks of developing stories we are looking into for next week. It's April one, and you think that we would be fools to continue talking about the seven through seven 800. But this past week has seen continued energy and enthusiasm for the narrowbody freighter. Jeff Lee And that gives us a lot of energy and enthusiasm too doesn't it because we have ASL aviation holdings in Ireland, which is already the largest combined operator of 737NG freighters. 800, specifically placing a top up order conversion order with Boeing for 10 more BCFS and potentially 10 more. And this is important and interesting because ASL does a lot of Express and ACMI flying, and has a pretty large fleet of 737 Classics, mostly four hundreds. And we don't know whether and how many of these classics the incoming eight hundreds will be replacing. But in any case, as we talked about, in the narrowbody freighter fleet analysis that we just did. we are really starting to see the turning point when it comes to 800. An NGS generally replacing three hundreds, hundreds and four hundreds. And, you know, this just continues the trend that we've been seeing for a while now with, you know, just more people ordering in hundreds. And so, you know, in the years ahead, we're really starting to see these join the active worldwide fleet in greater numbers. And speaking of, you know, 800 operators, tactical air in Bahrain, which started flying its first 800 BCF earlier this year as now, Ferry second 800 for conversion, and so we'll see that join the airline in several months time. And the story we did today was an interesting one wasn't it because this new airline called Camex airlines in Georgia is expecting around four freighters by the end of this year. And all of them likely 7378 Hundreds. And in this case, it's particularly interesting because Georgia, apart from Camex, we've seen 3 freighter carriers joining the market with 737 NGS. And so if camex does come online will be home to four different 737 ng freighter operators. Just like the US. You know we had Georgian airways with 737 800 SF that it's leasing from Aero capital solutions. And my way airlines with a 737 700 BDSF on lease from spectre air capital and Georgian airlines with a 737 800BCF on lease from Bbam. What is also interesting is that these are all different subtypes and different conversions of the 737NG so Andrew Crider That's enough of twin jets. If you're like me, and you suffer from an affliction of having an affinity for quad jets, you might be in luck. European cargo announced an investment with Priority One logistics holdings this week. In a Joint Statement European cargo said that the proceeds would go to growing its fleet paying off debt and potentially converting its a340 fleet into freighters. The airline currently has six a 340s and among a handful of operators that use the types in a pre freighter configuration. The 340s European cargo operates are the larger 600 model, the 600 was removed from passenger service at the beginning of the pandemic, however, it recently returned to operating passenger flights. Jeff Lee Yeah, I mean, I have to say I'm really intrigued by this development because I mean, I'm sure many people would like to see an A 340 600 freighter but we just don't know the extent of the modifications that have been planned for this and we're trying to find out more. But we have to wonder whether this refers to you know, a full freighter conversion with a cargo door and a cargo loading system and all that all or it's more a kind of halfway step between what European cargo is doing now with removed seats, and the full freighters. So, and that is similar to a few of these modifications that we've seen, for example, with azul in Brazil that recently started with Class F compartments on its E195. We know that aelf Flight Service intends to modify 10 a330. And you also know that Eastern Airlines in the US, which recently signed that deal with Flex port is in the process of developing an STC for Class E triple seven 200. But we don't quite know that the status of that and the certification on that from the airline generally, but we'll just have to see. I mean, it is interesting, and he would think with the larger volume of the 340 600. This could work. Assuming the fuel price doesn't get too much higher than now. Andrew Crider We can only hope the 340 conversion moves forward, especially now that UPS is about to receive the last seven for seven dash eight. With that aircraft beginning flight test today. The end of the era of the quad jet could be almost over. But speaking of 747 Dash eights. A week ago, we saw what may be the first repossession of a 747 dash eight from a Russian airline to its lessor since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It's been a very difficult to get a clear open communication with the Russian operators and lessors. While they settle these matters in court, cargo facts was able to break the news of the airbridge cargo 747 Dash eight unit 60118 that flew from Hong Kong to San Bernardino, California on March 25. For the most part Russian aircraft remain grounded Jeff Lee That's right, but we are actually still seeing some Russian operated Boeing Freighters flying within the country. For example, we know that our aviastar, which had 5 757 200 PCFs, has now re registered those within Russia and those are operating and s seven airlines which has 2 737800 BCFs appears to still be flying them. These were on lease from aer cap and aer cap recently actually said that it has terminated all of its Russian leases. So we don't quite know what to make of that. Although those two aircraft still appeared to be registered in on still flying with their Bermudan registrations, which, as we know, the Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority invalidated basically all the rotten aircraft on its register. Meanwhile, atrans 737 400 SF that had been on lease from vx capital remains in Cologne, Germany. And we will have to see what happens with that whether that's already been repossessed whether the lessor plans to repossess it. But in any case, that's still a lot of developments on that front with regard to Russian aircraft, and particularly for us, Boeing Freighters in operation with Russian carriers, Andrew Crider this news of Russian carriers and Russian aircraft and all the consequences of the invasion continue to break and they're continuing to develop and we're following them very closely. Just there you earlier mentioned the texel air 737 we were tracking that flight fly very much out of its way to avoid all that shut down conflicted airspace. So we'll be keeping our listeners up to date. But for now, Jeff, it's been nice to swap places with you for a podcast. But that's all the time we have for today. To those of you listening thank you for tuning in to this episode of cargo facts Connect. For more multimedia content like this, check out cargofacts.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 EMEA will take place LIVE May 9-11 in Dubai. Learn more and register.

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