Lufthansa Cargo keeps MD-11 retirement plan

• Jeff Lee
• April 3, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Editorial, Equipment, News, Production Freighters, Strategy

For now, Lufthansa Cargo is sticking to its plan to withdraw all six of its remaining MD-11Fs by the end of the year, despite the current high demand for capacity. Lufthansa Cargo CEO Peter Gerber told Cargo Facts the carrier had begun an internal discussion earlier this year about phasing out the MD-11Fs even earlier […]

Atlas Air begins reactivating stored 747s

• Jeff Lee
• April 2, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Conversions, Equipment, Logistics, News, Production Freighters, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

Atlas Air has started to bring its converted 747-400Fs out of storage to handle the surge in demand for freighter capacity. One of the four freighter-converted aircraft previously parked by Atlas, a 747-400BCF (24833) was ferried from Marana (MZJ) to Los Angeles (LAX) on April 1, after being stored in MZJ since Jan. 2. The […]

AA to retire dozens of 737s, releasing more feedstock

• Jeff Lee
• April 1, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Conversions, Editorial, Equipment, Logistics, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

American Airlines is reportedly planning to retire seventy-six 737-800s, nine A330-300s and twenty E190s in light of the COVID-19 crisis, making a large batch of potential conversion feedstock available. American Airlines President Robert Isom shared the plans during a video session with employees during the weekend, according to Reuters. Although no precise timeline for the […]

130+ passenger aircraft added to ‘COVID-19 freighter fleet’

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• March 31, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Equipment, Exclusive, Freighter Fleet Analysis, Logistics, News, Strategy

As borders are severely restricted and passenger flights are cancelled around the world because of the COVID-19 pandemic, at least forty airlines have operated some 135 empty passenger aircraft for the sole purpose of carrying cargo, analysis by Cargo Facts has found. With bellyholds traditionally moving 40%-80% of the cargo on a given lane, the […]

Request for your support

• JJ Hornblass
• March 31, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Conversions, News, Strategy

Dear Reader, For 25 years, Royal Media, Cargo Facts’s publisher, has dedicated itself to serving its business communities with professionalism and integrity. Today, the coronavirus pandemic has created significantly more complexity and uncertainty in our daily lives. Still, we at Royal remain committed to guiding you through this difficult time. But to do so, we need […]

Air Hong Kong adds second own-operated A330F

• Jeff Lee
• March 30, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Conversions, Editorial, Equipment, Express, Logistics, News, Production Freighters, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

Air Hong Kong (AHK) has transferred a second A330F to its own air operator’s certificate (AOC). While the first was a freighter-converted A330-300F (116, ex-Malaysia Airlines), the latest is a production A330-200F (1414, ex-ASL Airlines Ireland). Unit 1414 is one of five production A330-200Fs DHL Express acquired from Abu Dhabi-based Etihad in 2018. It was handed over […]

Wallace on Kalitta’s COVID-19 operations

• Jeff Lee
• March 27, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Conversions, Editorial, Equipment, Podcast, Production Freighters, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

For a cargo carrier like U.S.-based Kalitta Air, which specializes in ACMI and charter operations, the COVID-19 pandemic and its ensuing capacity crunch has resulted in extremely high fleet utilization, as shippers and forwarders have turned to freighter operators for help in flying their freight. Of course, one factor working in Kalitta’s favor is its […]

The new Cargo Facts Asia 2020 virtual agenda is live

• Jeff Lee
• March 26, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Cargo Facts Asia, Carriers, Conversions, Editorial, Equipment, Events, Express, Logistics, News, Production Freighters

Cargo Facts has released an updated agenda for the ninth edition of Cargo Facts Asia, which will take place Apr. 21-22 as a digital event. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to our decision to change the format of the event and we believe the virtual experience will make it both safer and easier for our […]