Sun Country launches Amazon 737-800F ops

Sun Country Airlines has started flying 737-800BCFs for Amazon, making the airline the third operator of the 737-800F in the U.S.

Sun Country brought the first aircraft (32348, ex-Pegasus) to its base in Minneapolis (MSP) on April 22, after it had been ferried from Shanghai (PVG) to Everett (PAE) in March upon conversion. A test flight was carried out May 5 before the aircraft went to Tampa (TPA) on May 6; since May 7, it has flown exclusively between TPA and Cincinnati (CVG).

This is the first freighter for Sun Country, which has around thirty 737-800s and is expecting to operate nine more 737-800BCFs on a CMI basis for Amazon, under an agreement announced in December. The aircraft are all being leased from GECAS.

Amazon declined to say which other cities the Sun Country-operated 737s will serve. Meanwhile, three more 737-800BCFs have made their way back to the U.S. after conversion in China, with unit 32601 (ex-Urumqi Air) arriving at PAE on April 18, unit 32579 (ex-Jet Airways) on April 19, and unit 29947 (ex-Hainan Airlines) on May 10.

Southern Air, an affiliate carrier of Atlas Air, is currently also operating five GECAS-leased 737-800BCFs on a CMI basis for Amazon under a March 2019 agreement.

Cargo Facts believes there are at least seven more GECAS aircraft in China that have either completed conversion, or are in the process. Boeing now has six conversion lines across three sites: Boeing Shanghai Aviation Services (BSAS) in PVG, Taikoo (Shandong) Aircraft Engineering Company Ltd. (STAECO) facility in Jinan (TNA), and Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Co. Ltd. (GAMECO) in Guangzhou, which was added in October, and will soon induct its first aircraft for BBAM.

iAero Airways recently became the second 737-800F operator in the U.S., flying a 737-800BDSF (30498, ex-Transaero Airlines) between CVG and MSP on a CMI basis for DHL.