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 […]

Return to the skies of passengers doesn’t spell the end of passenger freighters

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• June 22, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Conversions, Editorial, Equipment, Freighter Fleet Analysis, Logistics, Narrowbody Fleet Analysis, News, Strategy, Widebody Fleet Analysis

Even as passengers return to the skies, passenger freighters aren’t immediately headed for their demise. The uptick in passenger flights recorded from mid-June onward has not led to an immediate end to the use of passenger aircraft for cargo-only service. Although some aircraft have traded out cargo for passengers — or at least a mix […]

Volga-Dnepr and Boeing in legal spat over order backlog

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• June 1, 2020
• Aircraft, All Posts, Business, Carriers, Equipment, Freighter Fleet Analysis, News, Production Freighters, Strategy, Widebody Fleet Analysis

Volga-Dnepr Group, through its U.K. affiliate, is motioning for a temporary restraining order against Boeing in an attempt to reclaim delivery rights to a 747-8F and three 777Fs Boeing began remarketing earlier this year, after the group signaled earlier this year that it was no longer in a position to take delivery of the aircraft. […]

747-400 most sought-after freighter in April FATs

• Charles Kauffman
• May 11, 2020
• Aircraft, All Posts, Conversions, Editorial, Equipment, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, Widebody Conversions, Widebody Fleet Analysis

Large widebody freighter aircraft transactions (FATs) have accelerated to eight, up from just three in March as COVID-19 disruptions pushed previously-idled 747-400 and similarly-sized freighters back into service. A total of three 747-400Fs were acquired during the month of April as Western Global Airlines added a production 747-400F (29258, ex-Atlas Air) and as Moldova-based Aerotranscargo […]

777-300ER dominates passenger-freighter fleet

• Charles Kauffman
• May 8, 2020
• Aircraft, All Posts, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Editorial, Equipment, Freighter Fleet Analysis, News, Widebody Conversions, Widebody Fleet Analysis

The number of passenger aircraft that have been used as freighters on cargo-only flights and recorded by Cargo Facts in our recently launched passenger-freighter database has now surpassed 1,000. While the type of operation varies widely, from one-off charters to regularly scheduled networks, the sheer scale of the utilization is unprecedented, much like the impact […]

Express appetite for 777F eclipses 747-400F fleet

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• April 1, 2020
• All Posts, Editorial, Equipment, Features, News, Production Freighters, Widebody Fleet Analysis

In the first part of our analysis of the global widebody freighter fleet, we found that the overall number of in-service aircraft grew by about 5% year on year to 1,176, with seventy-eight operators as of Jan. 15, 2020, despite 2019 being a generally weak year for air cargo. In the second part of our […]

Freighters resist quarantine and spring back into action, for now

• Charles Kauffman
• March 18, 2020
• Aircraft, All Posts, Editorial, Equipment, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, News, Widebody Fleet Analysis

On March 15, ACE Belgium Freighters added to its fleet a second 747-400, an ERF variant (35169, ex-Jade Cargo) that previously operated on the AOC of affiliate carrier Israel-based CAL Cargo [FAT 005356]. After sitting idle since its ferry flight to Liege (LGG) on Feb. 2, the aircraft has since completed two roundtrip flights between […]