ACE Belgium Freighters resolves name dispute, to fly as Challenge Airlines

• Charles Kauffman
• June 15, 2020
• Aircraft, All Posts, Carriers, Equipment, Logistics, News, Production Freighters, Widebody Conversions

ACE Belgium Freighters is working with regulators in Belgium and the United States to change its name to Challenge Airlines (BE) S.A. The new name will put to rest a trademark dispute with U.S.-based Alaska Central Express, and is expected to advance the carrier’s receipt of a foreign air carrier permit from the U.S. Department […]

Cargolux ushers in 50th business year with 2019 net profit

• Charles Kauffman
• April 29, 2020
• All Posts, Carriers, Editorial, Equipment, News, Production Freighters

All-cargo carrier Cargolux reported a net profit of $20.2 million in 2019, on total revenues that were down 14.2% to $2.26 billion. The lower net profit represents a 90% decrease from the previous year’s net income of $211.2 million but is otherwise decent for a year that saw a 3.3% decline in overall cargo traffic, […]

Widebody freighter retirement plans stall in March FATs

• Charles Kauffman
• April 27, 2020
• Aircraft, Conversions, Editorial, Equipment, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, Narrowbody Conversions, Widebody Conversions

Large widebody freighter aircraft transactions (FATs) have slowed, dropping to just three in March and down from eight in February, as COVID-19 disruptions drove carriers to reevaluate retirement plans. Although February marked the first month in recent memory during which there was a net reduction to large widebody capacity, that trend reversed in March. ACE […]

CargoLogicAir to resume flights this week

• Jeff Lee
• April 22, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Equipment, News, Production Freighters, Strategy

British freighter airline CargoLogicAir (CLA) will soon resume operations after the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) lifted the suspension of the carrier’s operating license and air operator certificate. The CAA had suspended CLA’s operating license and air operator certificate for three months from Feb. 27, at the request of the airline. CLA confirmed to Cargo Facts it has conducted a transformation and will relaunch […]

Freighters resist quarantine and spring back into action, for now

• Charles Kauffman
• March 18, 2020
• Aircraft, All Posts, Editorial, Equipment, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, News, Widebody Fleet Analysis

On March 15, ACE Belgium Freighters added to its fleet a second 747-400, an ERF variant (35169, ex-Jade Cargo) that previously operated on the AOC of affiliate carrier Israel-based CAL Cargo [FAT 005356]. After sitting idle since its ferry flight to Liege (LGG) on Feb. 2, the aircraft has since completed two roundtrip flights between […]

Spring peak arrives early for China’s freighter operators

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• March 11, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Conversions, Editorial, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Production Freighters, Strategy

Freighter utilization rates by China’s “Big Three” combination carriers surged 83% month-to-month for the week of March 5-11, to nearly 3,000 flight hours, according to flight-tracking data analyzed by Cargo Facts. Compared to the same weeklong period in January, freighter flight hours were up 16%. Despite a precipitous drop in freighter hours flown between January […]

AirBridgeCargo seeks to cull 747F fleet

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• March 10, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Editorial, Equipment, Logistics, News, Production Freighters, Strategy

Russia-based AirBridgeCargo (ABC) is in negotiations with lessors to terminate agreements on up to five 747 freighters. The carrier said it entered into discussions with its leasing partners late last year as air cargo demand slumped. In the fallout from the COVID-19 outbreak that has forced ABC to cancel flights, those talks have intensified in […]

Cargolux acquires CargoLogicAir 747

• Jeff Lee
• February 24, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Equipment, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, News, Production Freighters, Strategy

A 747-400F previously operated by U.K.-based CargoLogicAir (CLA) has found a new owner in Cargolux, bringing the Luxembourg-based carrier’s all-747 fleet back to thirty units [FAT 005335]. According to the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority, the aircraft (35170, ex-AirBridgeCargo) was deregistered Feb. 19. It was parked in Leipzig (LEJ) on Dec. 30, and brought to Sharjah […]