Turboprop freighter fleet analysis 2019: A stable niche or still nascent?

The turboprop freighter fleet for aircraft with payloads of 3.8 - 8.8 tonnes grew by just 7% year-over-year to 181 units in June 2019, up 12 units from a total of 169 the year prior. While growth of 7% wouldn’t be unimpressive on its own, many of the additions this year stemmed from the reactivation […]

• Charles Kauffman
• July 18, 2019

Cebu Pacific takes redelivery of first IPR-converted ATR 72F

IPR Conversions redelivered the first of two passenger-to-freighter converted ATR 72-500Fs to Philippines-based Cebu Pacific [FAT 005059]. The aircraft (820) was previously part of Cebu Pacific’s own passenger fleet and will be the airline’s first dedicated freighter. After making a couple of short test flights around Dinard (DNR), France, where the aircraft was converted to […]

• Jeff Lee
• July 18, 2019

IAI inducts another 767 for CAM, but is it destined for Amazon?

Earlier this week, Cargo Aircraft Management (CAM) ferried a 767-300 (29228, ex-LATAM) to Tel Aviv (TLV) where it was inducted for conversion to freighter configuration by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) [FATs 005048-005049]. The induction boosts the number of CAM-owned 767-300s currently undergoing conversion in Tel Aviv to six, at least three of which are expected […]

• Charles Kauffman
• July 17, 2019

KLM Cargo rejigs flight schedule after flap incident grounds 747F

A KLM Cargo 747-400ERF (33694) is grounded in Harare (HRE) after a flap section separated from its wing during approach. The carrier told Cargo Facts that the aircraft will be repaired in HRE and is expected to be back in service on July 25. Unit 33694 was also involved in a ground incident in Dar-es-Salaam […]

• Jeff Lee
• July 17, 2019

FedEx orders more 767Fs, starts deploying them intra-Europe

FedEx Express recently exercised options to purchase six more 767-300Fs from Boeing [FATs 005050-005056]. The integrator expects to take delivery of these six frames in FY2022 and now has a total of fifty-nine 767-300Fs on firm order. Interestingly, according to FedEx’s Stat Book for the third quarter of fiscal 2019, released in March, the company […]

• Jeff Lee
• July 16, 2019

GAMECO angling for narrowbody freighter conversions with new maintenance lines

Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Co., Ltd. (GAMECO), in which China Southern holds a 50% stake, is in the process of constructing a third hangar with up to eleven maintenance lines as it seeks to support China Southern’s growing fleet and increase its involvement with third-party projects including passenger-to-freighter conversions and freighter maintenance. GAMECO broke ground […]

• Charles Kauffman
• July 16, 2019

Sichuan Airlines to launch freighter operations in October

Sichuan Airlines plans to commence scheduled operations with its A330Fs in October, with Brussels (BRU), Chennai (MAA) and Delhi (DEL) expected to be the first three destinations, the carrier told Cargo Facts. The Chengdu (CTU)-based airline took delivery of its first A330-200F (1350, ex-Qatar Airways) from BOC Aviation late last week [FAT 005047], and told […]

• Jeff Lee
• July 15, 2019

Boeing’s 737 MAX may stay grounded until 2020, WSJ says

Boeing Co.’s 737 MAX may stay grounded until early 2020, the Wall Street Journal reported, months later than the guidance the planemaker is privately providing customers for resolving a software issue that surfaced last month. The plane is expected to start flying again in January 2020 “under the latest scenario,” the Journal said, citing unidentified sources within […]

• Bloomberg News
• July 15, 2019