Amazon Air goes international with Leipzig hub

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• October 21, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Editorial, Equipment, Express, Logistics, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Strategy

Amazon has begun handling its own flights at its newly launched hub in Leipzig (LEJ), a move that mirrors the Amazon Air network in the United States. While Amazon has long had carriers flying intra-Europe on its behalf, the e-commerce giant now has its own ground team and facility to support an own-controlled network. The […]

Express growth feeds fleet expansion

• Jeff Lee
• October 15, 2020
• Express Fleet Analysis, Freighter Fleet Analysis, News

As the passenger aviation market attempts to stabilize itself after almost coming to a standstill just a few months ago, the freighter fleets operated by or on behalf of leading express carriers DHL, FedEx and UPS have been kept busier than ever. FedEx, for example, reported a 31% year-on-year growth in its international priority package […]

AerCaribe grows with fourth 737-400F

• Jeff Lee
• October 5, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Conversions, Editorial, Equipment, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Strategy

Colombia-based AerCaribe has taken redelivery of its fourth 737-400F [FAT 005653]. The aircraft (24130, ex-AlbaStar) was acquired by AerCaribe and inducted for conversion in May with Aeronautical Engineers Inc. (AEI) at the Commercial Jet facility in Dothan (DHN). The carrier could not provide an exact date for the entry into service of the new addition, […]

West Atlantic shuffles fleet ahead of Brexit

• Charles Kauffman
• September 30, 2020
• Aircraft, All Posts, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Conversions, Editorial, Equipment, Express, Features, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, Logistics, Narrowbody Conversions, News

Without a clear vision for what the United Kingdom’s post-Brexit aviation relationship with the European Union will look like, carriers with multiple AOCs scattered across the region are preemptively moving aircraft to avoid possible disruptions. Sweden-headquartered West Atlantic has begun moving aircraft from its U.K.-based carrier, West Atlantic UK, to other affiliate airlines based in […]

Maltese startup looks to 737-400Fs for launch

• Jeff Lee
• September 17, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Conversions, Editorial, Equipment, Logistics, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Strategy

A startup based in Malta aims to enter the freighter market in the first quarter of 2021 with its own air operator’s certificate (AOC) and possibly two 737-400Fs. SVL Airlines told Cargo Facts it had initially looked at 737-300QCs for the extra flexibility of a reconfigurable layout, but as the pandemic worsened over the course […]

KF set to carry out AEI conversions at second location

• Jeff Lee
• September 2, 2020
• Aircraft, Conversions, Editorial, Equipment, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Strategy

Canada-based KF Aerospace is establishing a 737-400SF conversion line at a second location, in Hamilton (YHM). The company’s YHM facility will soon provide touch labor for its first 737-400SF conversion according to an Aeronautical Engineers Inc. (AEI) STC. As part of a newly placed conversion order with AEI, the KF-owned aircraft (26280, ex-Juliet Romeo Aviation), […]

Cardig Air boosts capacity with reactivation

• Charles Kauffman
• August 21, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Conversions, Equipment, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, Narrowbody Conversions, News

Indonesia-based Cardig Air plans to resume operating a 737-300F by the end of August, increasing its narrowbody freighter fleet to two units [FAT 005570]. The aircraft (23258) was previously in service with the carrier, but was placed into storage in 2018. After being pulled out of storage, unit 23258 underwent a C-check and had both […]

Southern Air to operate more 737-800Fs for Amazon

• Jeff Lee
• August 5, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Editorial, Equipment, Logistics, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Strategy

Amazon’s next 737-800BCF will be handed over to Southern Air to operate, as the Atlas Air affiliate carrier appears to be stepping away from 737-400F operations. The 737-800BCF (32742, ex-NewGen Airways) was sent to China to be converted in January, and was spotted by photographers in Osaka (KIX) on Aug. 1, showing “Operated by Southern […]