ASL Aviation Holdings acquired by private equity firm, will rapid fleet growth continue?

Ireland-based ASL Aviation Holdings, no stranger to acquisitions, announced its intent to be purchased by private equity firm Star Capital Partnership LLP for an undisclosed amount. In recent years, the ASL Group, which owns or holds stakes in cargo and passenger airlines based in Europe, Africa, and Asia, has grown rapidly by gobbling up complementary […]

• Charles Kauffman
• February 13, 2019

US House committee considers bill to fund FAA during shutdowns

Today, the US House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation held a hearing to discuss H.R. 1108, the proposed “Aviation Funding Stability Act of 2019” that would fund the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the event of a partial government shutdown like the one ended late last month. The hearing examined how the […]

• Chelsea Toczauer
• February 13, 2019

Cargo Facts EMEA 2019: Are all-cargo carriers warming up to digitalization?

FRANKFURT – In a first for a roundtable panel discussion at a Cargo Facts event, a senior executive from an all-cargo carrier participated in a frank discussion with innovative startups and other air cargo stakeholders about the air cargo industry’s need to advance digitalization initiatives. The result? Though past efforts to abandon analog practices and […]

• Charles Kauffman
• February 8, 2019

Kalitta Air files complaint over slot allocation at AMS

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) reported a 2.5% decline in freight volumes and 10.4% drop in full freighter movements year-over-year for 2018, as freighter traffic at the airport has been challenged since 2017, when AMS began enforcing a rule requiring operators to keep to scheduled operational time “slots” 80% of the time or risk losing them. […]

• Caryn Livingston
• January 31, 2019

New cargo startup, more freighters for China

Today, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) approved the establishment of a new Chinese cargo carrier, Zhongzhou Airlines Co., Ltd., that will be based out of Zhengzhou Airport (CGO). The airport, which also serves as Cargolux’s China hub, seems to be gaining traction as a hub in the domestic Chinese cargo landscape. Zhongzhou Airlines is […]

• Chelsea Toczauer
• January 31, 2019

The widebody freighter fleet part I: growth returns!

Today we begin a multi-part analysis of the worldwide fleet of widebody jet freighters in commercial service as of 15 January 2019. We start with a look at the entire fleet – which carriers are operating which freighters – and in the coming days will move on to the ways in which the fleet has […]

• Charles Kauffman
• January 28, 2019

Former Jade Cargo 747-400ERF auctioned on Taobao ready to join CAL Cargo fleet

An ex-Jade Cargo 747-400ERF (35169) acquired by Israel-based CAL Cargo Airlines in a Taobao auction late in 2017 has emerged from maintenance, and will soon join the CAL fleet, the airline has confirmed to Cargo Facts. On 19 January, the aircraft completed an air test over Tel Aviv, where the aircraft will be based. The future […]

• Caryn Livingston
• January 24, 2019

Asia Pacific carriers boost 757-200F fleets

Guam-based Asia Pacific Airlines acquired a 757-200 (25140, ex-OpenSkies) on lease from Aerolease Aviation, and ferried it to Flightstar Aviation in Jacksonville, where the aircraft was inducted for conversion to freighter configuration by Precision Aircraft Solutions yesterday. This induction follows recent news from Brisbane-based Pacific Air Express that it plans to resume freighter ops following […]

• Charles Kauffman
• January 23, 2019