Air Atlanta to add another freighter

ISTANBUL — Air Atlanta Icelandic plans to add another freighter to its fleet by yearend as the carrier continues to expand its widebody lift capacity to meet demand. “Right now, there is no slack in terms of aircraft; everything’s already committed on long-term leases, but the plan is to add at least one more aircraft before the end of the year,” Baldvin Hermannsson, chief executive of Air Atlanta Icelandic and Air Atlanta Europe, said during a panel on widebody freighters at Cargo Facts EMEA 2025 on May 7. [caption id="attachment_57288652" align="aligncenter" width="2560"] Cargo Facts Editor Jeff Lee, far left, moderates a panel with, from left, Baldvin Hermannsson of Air Atlanta Icelandic;; Guneet Mirchandani of Air One; John Perdoch of Boeing; Leonard Rodrigues of Etihad Cargo; and George Seturidze of Camex Airlines. (Photo/Cargo Facts)[/caption] Air Atlanta will not remove any of its quad-engine freighters from service for at least another three years, as the carrier continues to invest in its fleet to support growing demand, Hermannsson said. “There is ample demand and we are investing in the fleet,” he said. “We don’t have anything that we’re trying to phase out anywhere in the next three to four years, at least. The plan is to continue to add to the fleet and build it.” Strength in numbers Air Atlanta acquired two 2003-vintage 747-400Fs (33729 and 33732, both ex-China Airlines) in 2024 but subsequently sold the former to Challenge Group. The carrier also purchased two ex-China Airlines 747-400Fs (30760 and 30761) it had operated on a CMI basis for JetOneX in 2023 as part of its long-term strategy to replace converted quad-engine freighters with production types. In addition to providing CMI service for Fly Meta’s 1992-vintage 747-400BDSF (26343, ex-Asiana) and 2003-vintage, production 747-400F (33731, ex-China Airlines), Air Atlanta operates a diverse fleet of production and conversion 747Fs, including a Rolls-Royce-powered unit 27503 it acquired in 2022. Waiting for 747F replacement Air Atlanta’s decision to increase its lift capacity with more 747 freighters has not lowered the carrier’s interest in the approval process of the 777 conversion programs . “I can’t really give you a timeline, because first we need to hear from IAI or Mammoth on when their airplanes are actually going to come out,” Hermannsson said. “But we stay in close contact with them, we’re following the situation well.” The Iceland-based carrier, which added its first pair of 777-300ERs in 2023, doubled its large twin-engine widebody fleet in 2024, and will provide passenger service until they can be converted to freighters, he said. Air Atlanta began recruiting pilots for the 777-300ERs in 2020. “We have the training, we have the pilots, so we’re more or less just ready,” he said. See more coverage of Cargo Facts EMEA 2025 . [Edited to reflect that Air Atlanta Icelandic plans to add a freighter but not a 747F.]

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