Top 10 freighter stories of 2022

2022 presented a series of new challenges and opportunities for players across the freighter industry. The development of new freighter types, technologies and global conflicts alongside changing market conditions made for a transformative year for the industry. Here are the ten most-read freighter stories reported by Cargo Facts in the past year: [caption id="attachment_56861013" align="alignright" width="450"] Ethiopian started flying its first 767-300BDSF this year. (Photo/Ethiopian Airlines)[/caption] 1. Ethiopian completes first 767 conversion in Africa Ethiopian Airlines completed the first 767-300BDSF it had converted at its own maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in Addis Ababa (ADD). The conversion of the 2004-vintage unit 33768, previously in passenger service with the airline until September 2021, became the first 767 conversion site in Africa and the third for Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), which first announced the addition of ADD in 2021 alongside its existing lines in Tel Aviv (TLV) and Mexico City (MEX) . In February, IAI surpassed more than 100 conversions for its 767-300BDSF program. 2. Ukraine conflict spreads to AirBridgeCargo and its lessors Through lack of planning or lack of understanding of the repercussions of what would become the next global conflict, Russian cargo operators had a number of aircraft outside of Russia — or countries friendly to Russia — at the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February. While some became grounded in Canada and Germany, one AirBridgeCargo 747-8F became subject to repossession after arriving in Hong Kong (HKG). Lessor BOC Aviation in March filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York concerning the 747-8F in question, the 2014-vintage unit 60118, which arrived March 1. Unit 60118 would later be repossessed by BOC Aviation and flown to San Bernardino (SBD) for storage. Two other BOC Aviation 747-8Fs remain illegally possessed by AirBridgeCargo. [caption id="attachment_56859947" align="alignright" width="450"] Swiftair and Cygnus Air now have a total of eight 757-200Fs. (Photo/Bollore Logistics)[/caption] 3. Swiftair ramps up fleet with 737-800Fs and 757-200Fs Spain-based Swiftair set a path to grow its fleet with six more 737-800Fs and one more 757-200F, involving a combination of three 737-800BDSFs on CMI lease from DHL Express and three 737-800Fs of its own. Swiftair is the first European CMI operator of DHL’s 737-800BDSFs but still flies several of its 737-400Fs as needed on an ACMI basis for the express integrator. Apart from the 737s, an additional 757-200F joined the fleet in September on lease from Airwork and is now operated by Spain-based affiliate Cygnus Air. 4. DHL completes Bahrain fleet renewal With the redelivery of its seventh 767-300F, a 2002-vintage 767-300BDSF (33081, ex-American Airlines), DHL Express completed its Bahrain fleet upgrade in May. DHL International, the express company’s Bahrain-based airline, returned three 767-200BDSFs to lessor Cargo Aircraft Management (CAM) in 2021 and another in 2022. One (22787) has joined Malaysia-based Raya Airways, while two (23143 and 23144) are parked in Wilmington (ILN) and one (23146) began operation with SkyTaxi in Poland in late 2021. 5. Airbus implements larger A350F door design At the beginning of December, Cargo Facts reported exclusively that Airbus would be implementing a larger design for the cargo door on its upcoming A350F. The A350F’s expanded cargo door will now measure 175 inches in width, Airbus told Cargo Facts . The height of the door will remain the same at 124 inches. As of the end of November, Airbus had secured orders for thirty-one A350Fs. [caption id="attachment_56861070" align="alignright" width="450"] Unit 33749 previously flew with CargoLogicAir. (Photo/National Airlines)[/caption] 6. National picks up another production 747-400F National Airlines acquired a second nose-loading 747-400F In October as a result of international sanctions placed on Russia following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The aircraft (33749) had previously served with Russia-based AirBridgeCargo on lease from Aircastle. After serving with AirBridgeCargo’s mainline fleet, the aircraft was transferred to CargoLogicAir in the U.K. in 2015 until being deregistered in September 2022. Unit 33749 joins another ex-AirBridgeCargo nose-loading 747, the younger, 2008-vintage unit 35237, that National Airlines had acquired a month earlier . 7. White Walker resurrects 747-200F after long-term storage In late June, the inspirationally named White Walker Holdings reactivated a 1991-vintage nose-loading 747-200F that had remained in storage since ending its watch with Martinair Holland in 2014. White Walker Holdings and affiliates Dire Wolf Holdings, Wolfswood Holdings, Sansa LLC and Siete Seis Siete Inc., all have registered addresses at or near Brooksville-Tampa Bay Regional Airport (BKV). The aircraft was subsequently acquired by Kyrgyzstan-based Aerostan . Additionally, another operator in neighboring Uzbekistan, My Freighter, took delivery of the 1985-vintage unit 23139 in Tashkent (TAS) in October as its first freighter. [caption id="attachment_56861010" align="alignright" width="450"] Air Belgium now operates three aircraft for Hongyuan. (Photo/Hongyuan Group)[/caption] 8. Air Belgium grows CMI ops with 747-8Fs Air Belgium added two ex-Saudia 747-8Fs (37562 and 37563) to its fleet for CMI operations for China-based Hongyuan Group. The 2013-vintage pair now fly mostly between Brussels (BRU) and Chengdu (CTU). As the year progressed, Air Belgium also became the third A330-200P2F operator , adding the freshly converted, 2007-vintage unit 832 (ex-Etihad) to its fleet on behalf of Hongyuan Group. The carrier began flying the A330-200P2F in late November from Dubai (DWC) to Jakarta (CGK) and Auckland (AKL). 9. Cargolux to replace 747-400Fs with 777-8F Cargolux and Boeing announced in July that the airline would order the 777-8F as a replacement for its aging population of 747-400Fs. Cargolux currently operates sixteen 747-400Fs alongside fourteen 747-8Fs. The announcement made Cargolux the fourth known customer of the 777-8F, joining ANA, Lufthansa and launch customer Qatar Airways. The cargo airline later firmed up its order for up to sixteen 777-8Fs . The 777-8F and the A350F are in a de facto competition to fill the vacuum left by the 747 series of aircraft. 10. ASL to lease five Airbus freighters from ATSG In May, Cargo Aircraft Management disclosed that it would lease five Airbus freighters to ASL Aviation Holdings, consisting of three A321-200PCFs and two A330P2Fs. The first two A321s that will join ASL are the ex-Thomas Cook sister units 1972 and 1887 with CFM56 engines, both nearing completion at the PEMCO facility in Tampa (TPA). ASL is already in the process of renewing its narrowbody fleet with 737-800Fs, recently adding ten firm 737-800BCF conversions with Boeing along with an option for ten more. Cargo Facts EMEA, the essential event for stakeholders in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, will take place live Feb. 6-8 in Dubai. Register today.

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