Boeing nabs freighter-only orders in May

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• June 9, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Editorial, Express, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, News, Production Freighters, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

Boeing secured firm orders for only nine aircraft in May, all relating to freighters, according to the planemaker’s orders and deliveries tally for the month. With the update, Boeing confirmed suspicions that UPS is the customer for a hotly contested 747-8F (63784) originally ordered by the Volga-Dnepr Group. FedEx also upped its official 767-300F backlog […]

EFW boosts gross weight with 777 redelivery

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• May 27, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Conversions, Equipment, Express, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, Logistics, News, Widebody Conversions

Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW) has completed the conversion of its fourth A330-300F (MSN 777, ex-China Eastern Airlines) and redelivered the aircraft to DHL Express [FAT 005434]. This is the first high-gross-weight conversion and delivers an upward revision to the maximum gross payload for the A330-300P2F. EFW previously listed the maximum gross payload for the A330-300 at […]

SF Airlines continues fleet growth

• Jeff Lee
• May 22, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Conversions, Editorial, Express, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

Chinese express carrier SF Airlines plans to add at least five more aircraft to its fleet by the end of 2020. The carrier confirmed to Cargo Facts the additions include three 757-200PCFs (29943, 33101 and 33100, all ex-TUI Airways), to be converted by Precision Aircraft Solutions, and two 767-300BCFs (26329, ex-LATAM, and 30847, ex-Titan Airways), […]

First 737-800BDSF begins flying with DHL

• Jeff Lee
• May 6, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Conversions, Editorial, Equipment, Express, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Strategy

In a series of firsts, the freshly certified 737-800BDSF has entered service with DHL Express and begun its first scheduled operations with the integrator. The first aircraft of its type to start regular flying anywhere in the world, unit 30498 (ex-Transaero Airlines) is also the first 737-800 to be converted by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). […]

Capacity crunch thrusts idled Southern Air 777F back into service

• Jeff Lee
• April 28, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Equipment, Express, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, News, Production Freighters, Strategy

A 777F that has been sitting on the ground for almost a year has taken to the skies again, thanks to the COVID-19 crisis and the widespread shortage of airfreight capacity. The aircraft (35606) is owned by Titan Aviation, the dry-leasing arm of Atlas Air, and was previously operated by Emirates until January 2019. It […]

CFA 2020: Industry nuances to limit new entrants to freighter leasing

• Jeff Lee
• April 22, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Cargo Facts Asia, Carriers, Conversions, Editorial, Equipment, Express, Logistics, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Production Freighters, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

Ongoing growth in the air cargo industry and freighter operations amid the COVID-19 pandemic may not extend to new entrants to the leasing and operating spaces, according to speakers at this week’s Cargo Facts Asia 2020. Lead times for conversions, and other barriers to entry for this unique segment of the market pose challenges that […]

CFA 2020: Pandemic refreshes vision for Asian express

• Jeff Lee
• April 21, 2020
• Capacity & Demand, Cargo Facts Asia, Equipment, Express, Strategy

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented an unprecedented challenge for the air express business, but also provides an opportunity for the industry to cooperate on a greater scale, both during and after the pandemic, according to speakers in Session 7 of Cargo Facts Asia 2020. Referring to the rise of online retailers Alibaba and JD.com in […]

Precision 757 conversions now total 120

• Jeff Lee
• April 17, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Editorial, Equipment, Express, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Strategy

Precision Aircraft Solutions has completed its 120th 757-200PCF conversion and redelivered the aircraft (29942, ex-TUI Airways) to SF Airlines [FAT 005386]. The 757, which was originally delivered from the Boeing factory in 1999, was inducted at the AMECO facility in Chengdu (CTU) in December 2019, and arrived at SF’s hub in Shenzhen (SZX) on April 16. It […]