Crew safety amid pandemic challenges cargo carriers

• Charles Kauffman
• March 26, 2020
• All Posts, Conversions, Editorial, Equipment, Exclusive, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Widebody Conversions

Sweden-headquartered West Atlantic Group is rethinking the process of crew transport, and preparing contingency plans to maintain its operational commitments during the COVID-19 outbreak. With increasing travel restrictions and dwindling passenger transport systems, crew transport and safety now loom among the most significant challenges to keeping the air cargo supply chain functioning amid the COVID-19 […]

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 […]

ACS sees spike in freighter charters, tight supply for aircraft

• Charles Kauffman
• March 25, 2020
• Aircraft, All Posts, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Equipment, News

U.K.-based Air Charter Service (ACS) is responding to a surge in cargo charters on the heels of escalating Covid-19 travel restrictions and flight cancellations that have led to dramatic reductions in global bellyhold capacity. What began in late February as an uptick in requests for lift out of Asia has, in recent weeks, evolved to […]

Freighters carry medical aid from China to Europe

• Jeff Lee
• March 25, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Conversions, Editorial, Equipment, Logistics, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Production Freighters, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

As the COVID-19 crisis worsens in Europe, a plethora of medical equipment and aid is now being flown in from China by a range of freighter aircraft, whether production, converted or makeshift. ASL Airlines Belgium is currently operating ten flights a week using 747-400Fs between Liege and China. While these flights transported medical supplies from […]

Amazon Air to hand over first 737-800BCF to Sun Country Air

• Charles Kauffman
• March 24, 2020
• Aircraft, All Posts, Conversions, Equipment, Narrowbody Conversions

Even as demand for passenger travel falters amid the Covid-19 outbreak, low-cost carrier Sun Country Air will soon be adding flights — not to carry passengers, but rather to haul cargo on behalf of Amazon Air. On March 22, a 737-800BCF (32348, ex-Pegasus) departed Shanghai (PVG) for Everett (PAE) ahead of redelivery to GECAS [FAT […]

ACE leverages serendipitous 747 addition

• Jeff Lee
• March 24, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Editorial, Equipment, Logistics, News, Production Freighters, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

When Challenge Group was planning two years ago for the reassignment of a 747-400F (35169) from its Israel-based subsidiary CAL Cargo Airlines to ACE Belgium Freighters, it could not have imagined that the world would be paralyzed by a pandemic and in sore need of airfreight capacity. But the redelivery of ACE’s second 747 freighter in […]

Kalitta sees record fleet utilization

• Jeff Lee
• March 23, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Conversions, Equipment, News, Production Freighters, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

U.S.-based ACMI and charter operator Kalitta Air is experiencing one of the highest fleet utilization rates in its history. As much of the passenger fleet around the world is parked in storage for at least the next couple of months to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, cargo carriers are benefiting from the ensuing […]

Boeing to pause production for two weeks amid pandemic

• Jeff Lee
• March 23, 2020
• Aircraft, Editorial, Equipment, News, Strategy

Boeing will suspend all production activity across the Puget Sound region for fourteen days from March 25, in an effort to slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company said it would begin reducing its manufacturing operations today. During the suspension, Boeing will conduct deep cleaning at sites where there were confirmed COVID-19 infections. […]