Production freighter orders in 2019 – 747 nowhere to be seen

Given that 2018 was such a stellar year for freighter orders, with eighty-three aircraft ordered, 2019 was perhaps always going to pale in comparison. Still, the year ended with a respectable twenty-eight production jet freighter aircraft being added to the order books.

The orders for these twenty-eight aircraft, consisting of seventeen 777Fs and eleven 767-300Fs, came from only five customers: China Airlines, DHL, FedEx, Lufthansa Cargo and Qatar Airways. Unlike 2018, when 72% of the orders were placed by the major integrators, DHL and FedEx only accounted for 54% of the production jet freighters ordered in 2019.

What’s especially noteworthy is that 2019 marks the first year since 2010 in which the 747-8F hasn’t managed to garner a single order.

To continue reading this feature, please go to page 8 of our January 2020 issue.