Cargo Facts Symposium Day 1: key takeaways

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• October 18, 2019
• Cargo Facts Symposium, Conversions, Equipment, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Widebody Conversions

SAN DIEGO – A crowd of distinguished air cargo executives gathered for Cargo Facts Symposium 2019, held at the Intercontinental San Diego. Although the air cargo industry faces uncertainty on multiple fronts such as trade and political headwinds, and aircraft program complications, delegates remain overwhelmingly upbeat on long-term growth prospects for the industry. A few […]

A330P2Fs won’t supplant freighter-converted 767s for 3-5 years [VIDEO]

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• October 18, 2019
• Cargo Facts Symposium, CFS 2019 - Airborne Global Video Series, Equipment, News, Widebody Conversions

SAN DIEGO – Although the A330 is seen as a likely successor to freighter-converted 767-300s, not for 3-5 years, said Rich Corrado, president Air Transport Services Group (ATSG). With an estimated 220 airframes remaining in passenger service of an age suitable for conversion, which for ATSG’s portfolio tends to be in a range of 15-25 […]

GECAS and IAI partner to launch 777P2F program

• Charles Kauffman
• October 17, 2019
• Conversions, Equipment, Exclusive, News, Widebody Conversions

SAN DIEGO – GECAS and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) announced the joint launch of a 777-300ER passenger-to-freighter conversion program yesterday, just as delegates began arriving here for Cargo Facts Symposium 2019. More than just a customer for the program, along with IAI, GECAS is co-funding the development of a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the […]

Boeing reduces support for third-party freighter conversions

• Charles Kauffman
• October 11, 2019
• Aircraft, Conversions, Exclusive, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Widebody Conversions

Boeing this week told customers that it may be unable to provide FAA approval for structural repairs on aircraft modified by non-Boeing entities. The position could dramatically limit OEM support for freighter conversion programs developed by the many conversion houses that modify Boeing aircraft. A multi-operator message (MOM) dispatched on Oct. 7 and seen by Cargo […]

Ex-ANA Cargo 767-300BCF bound for UPS fleet

• Charles Kauffman
• October 10, 2019
• Aircraft, Conversions, Equipment, News, Widebody Conversions

A 767-300BCF (25136) Cargo Aircraft Management (CAM) agreed to acquire from ANA Cargo earlier this year will soon be dry-leased to UPS. The aircraft currently carries a CAM registration (N327CM) but is in the process of being re-registered as N394UP, according to an update in the FAA registry. This is the third of four CAM-owned […]

Kalitta to operate DHL’s next 767

• Jeff Lee
• October 10, 2019
• Aircraft, Conversions, Exclusive, News, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

DHL Express will hand over its next 767 to Kalitta Air to be operated on a CMI basis, the German express integrator has confirmed to Cargo Facts. The aircraft, a 767-300BDSF (27686, ex-Royal Air Maroc) which appears to have completed the conversion process, is expected to be redelivered and put into operation within the next […]

Third A330-300P2F set to join Air Hong Kong fleet

• Jeff Lee
• October 8, 2019
• Aircraft, Carriers, Conversions, Exclusive, Express, News, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

DHL Express plans to place its third freighter-converted A330-300F (231, ex-Thai Airways) with Air Hong Kong. The express integrator confirmed to Cargo Facts that this aircraft will begin its Asian operations later this month. Unit 231 was redelivered by Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW) in September 2019 and was painted into the Air Hong Kong livery in […]

Second UPS 767-300BDSF completed

• Jeff Lee
• October 7, 2019
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Conversions, Express, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, News, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

Cargo Aircraft Management (CAM), Air Transport Services Group’s (ATSG) leasing arm, has taken redelivery of the second 767-300BDSF (28039, ex-Air Italy) it has agreed to dry-lease to Atlanta-based UPS [FAT 005158-005159]. After a three-hour test flight, the aircraft was ferried from the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) facility in Tel Aviv (TLV) to Shannon (SNN). Unit […]