Raging fires require larger tanker conversions

• Charles Kauffman
• September 21, 2020
• Aircraft, All Posts, Conversions, Editorial, Equipment, Freighter Fleet Analysis, Narrowbody Conversions

Against the backdrop of raging wildland fires across many Western states in the U.S., a diversifying fleet of converted air tankers is being called into action. This year, a 737-300 (27700, ex-Southwest Airlines) reconfigured by Canada-based Coulson Aviation as an airtanker or “Fireliner” entered service on behalf of the USDA Forest Service as part of […]

Weekly Wrap: A look back at the rise of Amazon Air [Video]

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• September 4, 2020
• All Posts, Carriers, Conversions, Editorial, News, Podcast, Strategy, Video, Widebody Fleet Analysis

This week, the first 767-300ER registered directly to Amazon surfaced in the FAA registry. From its early days of launching a trial network in the fall of 2015, Amazon Air has quickly built up its network of own-controlled capacity, and is on track to operate a fleet of at least eighty-one aircraft by the end […]

NCA to grow managed 747-400F fleet with ASL deal?

• Charles Kauffman
• August 25, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Equipment, Exclusive, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, Logistics, Production Freighters, Widebody Fleet Analysis

Two factory-built 747-400Fs that were on long-term lease with AirBridgeCargo until earlier this year (36784 and 36785) have exited storage at Teruel (TEV) and are being prepared for service re-entry. Both aircraft were ferried to Frankfurt Hahn Airport (HHN), according to Flightaware, and appear to be undergoing maintenance ahead of service re-entry with ASL Airlines […]

737-800 conversion market diversification accelerates in 2020

• Jeff Lee
• August 14, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Conversions, Editorial, Equipment, Logistics, Narrowbody Conversions, Narrowbody Fleet Analysis, News, Strategy

In a year that has seen rising interest in 737NG conversions, at least four companies new to the model have placed orders for up to eleven 737-800Fs so far in 2020, with more yet to be disclosed or announced. The following chart shows orders for 737 family and A321 conversions since January 2019.   Many 2020 […]

Top 25 carrier rankings scrambled by fleet changes

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• August 12, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Editorial, Equipment, Features, Freighter Fleet Analysis, Logistics, News, Production Freighters, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

While the mix of carriers in the top-five bracket remained the same in 2019, the order in which they are ranked looks very different compared to a year ago, thanks to changes to their freighter fleets.  In our list of Top 25 Carriers by total FTKs, the top five leaders collectively added a net of twenty-three freighters in 2019. The […]

Does e-commerce fleet expansion signal the untapped potential of Russian market?

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• July 31, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Conversions, Editorial, Equipment, Express, Freighter Fleet Analysis, Logistics, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Production Freighters, Strategy

Alibaba’s e-commerce affiliate Cainiao has committed to prying open more airfreight links between its home market, China, and Russia, and will soon begin services with a newly delivered 757-200PCF (27051, ex-American Airlines) it is chartering from Aviastar-TU.  According to Cainiao, the recently placed 757-200PCF will start flying e-commerce shipments from China to Russia in August, adding to an already […]

SF opts for younger aircraft as fleet hits 60

• Charles Kauffman
• July 20, 2020
• All Posts, Carriers, Conversions, Equipment, Express, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, Freighter Fleet Analysis, Narrowbody Conversions, Narrowbody Fleet Analysis, News, Widebody Conversions

SF Airlines, the carrier affiliate of Shenzhen-based SF Express, took redelivery of a 757-200PCF (29943, ex-TUI Airways), growing its fleet to sixty aircraft [FAT 005508]. As the carrier’s fleet grows, it is increasingly opting for younger aircraft. The latest redelivery (29943), was aged just over twenty years old, as was the case with three 757-200PCFs […]

Crisis could diversify next-gen narrowbody leasing market

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• July 8, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Conversions, Editorial, Equipment, Narrowbody Conversions, Narrowbody Fleet Analysis, News, Strategy

Minneapolis (MSP) is not a base for all-cargo carriers, and yet a freshly painted 737-800BCF (32605, ex-Hainan Airlines) landed at the airport on June 26, having arrived empty from Everett (PAE). The aircraft had arrived in Everett in early June after conversion to freighter configuration by Boeing in China. In the past three months, GECAS, […]