CFS: Regional capacity weakness persists

[caption id="attachment_414806" align="alignright" width="511"] Cargo Facts Symposium 2020 panelists discuss "What pax aviation weakness means for regional fleets in the Americas."[/caption] Alaska Airlines is expanding capacity in the lead-up to this year’s peak season and is in the final approval stage of moving a 737-900 into full passenger-freighter configuration . Alaska Airlines, which does not yet operate regional aircraft in freighter configuration but does fly three 737-700Fs within the state of Alaska, emphasized the importance of regional capacity for vital cargo movements within the state at this week’s Cargo Facts Symposium . Maintaining cargo connectivity within Alaska has presented challenges since the largest regional carrier operating in the state, RavnAir, went bankrupt and halted operations earlier this year . “Fortunately, we were able to help jump in and start service to places that we hadn’t been serving,” said Torque Zubeck, managing director at Alaska Airlines Cargo, during the discussion. “Some of the other regional carriers will also help fill in the gaps, but I think there’s a need for more of those. As e-commerce grows, and that seems to be the trend, I think air cargo and regional freighters will have more opportunity to grow into this space.” With regional capacity in the Americas hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic due to canceled passenger flights and carrier bankruptcies, airlines still operating in regional markets are adding routes and expanding capacity. While Zubeck said Alaska Airlines would “love to have some regional freighters” in its network like the ones on order from express operator FedEx , Alaska’s model currently allows for operating freighters converted from its existing fleet. With its new passenger-freighter, he added that “we’ll actually be having bags in seats that will go in to those aircraft and we’re going to be planning to fly that for the run-up to the Christmas peak season . ”

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