17 Asia-Pacific fleet additions in 2019

• Jeff Lee
• December 13, 2019
• Aircraft, Carriers, Conversions, Equipment, Narrowbody Conversions, Production Freighters, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

Earlier this week, we looked at how the freighter fleet in mainland China has grown in 2019. As the year draws to a close, here’s an overview of the seventeen freighter aircraft that were added to carriers based elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region over the course of the year. Airwork September: 737-300F (25264, ex-Bluebird Nordic) […]

Longhao re-brands after securing new investor, looks ahead to fleet growth

• Charles Kauffman
• November 14, 2019
• Aircraft, All Posts, Carriers, Conversions, Exclusive, Narrowbody Conversions, News

Longhao Airlines is settling into its secondary base at Zhengzhou Airport (CGO) following investment from Henan Civil Aviation Development Investment (HNCA), and is now operating under its new name, Zhongyuan Longhao Airlines. After a period of low flight activity at the beginning of this year, the carrier is returning its fleet to service, and has […]

West Atlantic UK extends 737F MRO deal with KLM UK Engineering

• Jeff Lee
• November 4, 2019
• Aircraft, Carriers, Conversions, Narrowbody Conversions, News

Cargo carrier West Atlantic UK and KLM UK Engineering, the wholly owned MRO subsidiary of KLM Engineering & Maintenance, have agreed to extend their airframe maintenance contract. The two companies first entered into the maintenance deal at the end of 2017, taking effect in January 2018. Under the contract, KLM UK Engineering will carry out heavy maintenance […]

Emirates International Air Cargo emerges from legal limbo, prepares to launch with 737-400F

• Jeff Lee
• October 15, 2019
• Aircraft, Carriers, Conversions, Exclusive, Narrowbody Conversions, Strategy

A new cargo carrier could soon be launching freighter operations in the Middle East. Abu Dhabi-based startup Emirates International Air Cargo (EIAC) appears to have taken redelivery of its first freighter-converted 737-400F (28151, ex-Qantas), after a legal dispute between EIAC and Connecticut-based Aero Acquisitions prevented the aircraft from being redelivered for several years. Unit 28151, […]

Tianjin Air Cargo inducts 737-800BCF into fleet

• Jeff Lee
• September 30, 2019
• Aircraft, Carriers, Conversions, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Strategy

Tianjin Air Cargo has introduced its first 737-800BCF. The 17-year-old aircraft (32602, ex-Hainan Airlines) is on lease from Spectre Air Capital, following conversion to freighter configuration by Boeing at the Taikoo (Shandong) Aircraft Engineering Co., Ltd. (STAECO) facility in Jinan (TNA) [FATs 004944-004945]. In addition to the red Tianjin Air Cargo livery, the aircraft features the blue […]

Airwork acquires pair of Bluebird 737-300Fs

• Jeff Lee
• September 14, 2019
• Aircraft, Carriers, Exclusive, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, Narrowbody Conversions

Iceland-based Bluebird Nordic has sold two of its 737-300BDSFs to New Zealand-based Airwork, the cargo carrier confirmed to Cargo Facts [FATs 005134-005135]. The first aircraft (25264, ex-Frontier) is already in Auckland (AKL) and has been registered with the Civil Aviation Authority of New Zealand. According to Bluebird Nordic, unit 25264, which was owned by sister […]

China Postal receives first 737-800BCF

• Charles Kauffman
• August 8, 2019
• Aircraft, All Posts, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, E-Commerce, Express, Features, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, News, Strategy

Earlier this week, China Postal Airlines took redelivery of its first 737-800BCF (30786, ex-China Southern Airlines), on lease from BBAM [FATs 005087-005088]. The air arm of China Post expects to become the first 737-800BCF operator in China, though we note it was not actually the first Chinese carrier to take redelivery of a -800BCF. That […]

IAI aims for 737-800BDSF STC by next month

• Jeff Lee
• July 23, 2019
• Aircraft, All Posts, Conversions, Features, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Strategy

Israel Aerospace Industries’ (IAI) Aviation Group is nearing the end of testing for its 737-800BDSF program and expects to receive the supplemental type certificate (STC) by the end of August 2019, the company tells Cargo Facts. Certification had previously been anticipated for May or June this year. Test flights with the first 737-800 to be […]