AirBridgeCargo, CLA embark on freight density test with cargo.one

All-cargo carriers AirBridgeCargo and CargoLogic Air have taken the plunge and will begin making spot market capacity and rates visible and instantly bookable through air cargo booking and marketing platform, cargo.one. Although combination carriers have been warming up to the idea for some time, the move represents a major pivot for all-cargo carriers, which have […]

• Charles Kauffman
• June 3, 2019

3 fleet plans unveiled through plane sightings [VIDEO]

If boxes and pallets could speak, every freighter flight would have a story to tell. Many narratives are straightforward and can be inferred by connecting the dots between origin and destination – a 747F flight between Oslo Airport (OSL) and Seoul (ICN), for example, reflects Asia’s growing appetite for fresh seafood out of the Atlantic. […]

• Charles Kauffman
• May 31, 2019

Lockheed Martin expects certification and first delivery for LM-100J before year-end

Today, Lockheed Martin told Cargo Facts that its in-development LM-100J, the commercial variant of the C-130J “Super Hercules,” is closing in on the final phases of Federal Aviation Administration-specific flight tests. Just a week or so of additional flying is required ahead of submitting a final series of test reports to the FAA, after which […]

• Charles Kauffman
• May 30, 2019

Cathay Pacific signs 747-400ERF engine maintenance deal

In a sign that the Hong Kong-based carrier intends to continue operating its fleet of six 747-400ERF for at least a few more years, Cathay Pacific and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Aero Engines, Ltd. (MHIAEL) signed a five-year contract under which MHIAEL will provide engine MRO services for Cathay’s 747-400ERFs. The engines covered under the exclusive […]

• Caryn Livingston
• May 30, 2019

SpiceJet plans to triple 737 NG freighter fleet, build hub in Northeast India

India-based SpiceJet is challenging the conventional wisdom that freighters don’t make sense in the fleet of a low-cost carrier. The airline plans to grow its freighter fleet to six 737 NGs over the next twelve months – up significantly from the two freighters in SpiceXpress livery that exist today, according to a statement in SpiceJet’s […]

• Charles Kauffman
• May 29, 2019

ATSG expands credit facility to grow 767 freighter fleet

Yesterday, Air Transport Services Group announced the growth of its credit facility by US$100 million to $645 million, along with a one-year extension through May 2024. Quint Turner, ATSG’s CFO, said the company will invest a majority of its $475 million capital expenditure budget this year to acquire thirteen 767-300s, most of which will be […]

• Caryn Livingston
• May 29, 2019

DHL confirms incoming 777Fs to gradually replace 747-400Fs

DHL Express confirmed today it plans to gradually phase-out older 747-400Fs as it takes delivery of new-build 777Fs. Earlier this month, Boeing delivered the first of at least fourteen, and up to twenty-one, 777Fs that were part of an order announced last year at the Farnborough Airshow [FATs 004505–4525]. Cargo Facts estimated that a total […]

• Charles Kauffman
• May 28, 2019

Volga-Dnepr Technics Moscow adds 777 maintenance capability

The MRO arm of Russia-based Volga-Dnepr Group, Volga-Dnepr Technics Moscow (VDTM), has obtained approval from the Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority (BCAA) to carry out maintenance work on Bermuda-registered 777 aircraft. Although none of Volga-Dnepr’s affiliate carriers currently operate the 777 platform, this is expected to change following a 2018 LOI between Boeing and CargoLogicHolding for the purchase of up to twenty-nine 777Fs.  For the time […]

• Jeff Lee
• May 28, 2019