Production freighter orders in 2019 – 747 nowhere to be seen

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• January 15, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Equipment, Features, Freighter Fleet Analysis, Production Freighters

Given that 2018 was such a stellar year for freighter orders, with eighty-three aircraft ordered, 2019 was perhaps always going to pale in comparison. Still, the year ended with a respectable twenty-eight production jet freighter aircraft being added to the order books. The orders for these twenty-eight aircraft, consisting of seventeen 777Fs and eleven 767-300Fs, […]

Air Atlanta Icelandic looks to 777 platform

• Jeff Lee
• January 9, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Conversions, News, Production Freighters, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

Air Atlanta Icelandic could soon be adding 777s to the list of aircraft it operates. The Iceland-based carrier has begun recruiting 777 type-rated captains and first officers through Confair, a Dutch recruitment agency for cockpit crew, flight attendants and technical maintenance personnel. According to the job description, this new batch of pilots will be based […]

Top widebody freighter developments of 2019

• Jeff Lee
• January 3, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Conversions, Equipment, Production Freighters, Widebody Conversions

As the first week of 2020 draws to a close, we look back and reflect on some of the most important and newsworthy developments affecting freighter aircraft types in 2019, starting with widebodies. To begin with, we note that while stories involving the 747 are consistently among our most popular, in 2019 this seemed to […]

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. [Note: for the purposes of this […]

As Triumph idles 747 component production will Boeing follow?

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• November 21, 2019
• Aircraft, Equipment, News, Production Freighters

The sole manufacturer of fuselage sections for Boeing’s 747 program, Triumph Group, has begun parting out its California factory and yesterday began auctioning off equipment. The company has built 747 fuselages for Boeing since the aircraft was launched in 1966. Boeing currently only has eighteen 747s left on firm order. All of them are -8Fs, […]

CargoLogicAir to cut two 747Fs early next year

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• November 1, 2019
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, News, Production Freighters, Strategy

UK-based CargoLogicAir (CLA) will reduce its four-unit 747F fleet by two units next year, “because of the ongoing challenging market conditions,” according to a statement from the carrier. Following the reduction, CLA intends to continue operating two aircraft in ACMI service. The cuts are the latest prompted by CLA’s parent, the Volga-Dnepr Group, which earlier this […]

Atlas 3Q earnings take hit from tariffs and trade tensions

• Jeff Lee
• October 30, 2019
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Earnings, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Production Freighters

While total block hours were up 7.7% year-over-year, Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings reported an operating loss of $0.88 million for the third quarter of 2019, a 102% drop year-on-year. Adjusted net income was $9.5 million, 78% lower than 3Q 2018. Block-hour growth was mainly driven by CMI flying. During the third quarter of 2019, Atlas […]

ANA Cargo puts own-operated 777F into trans-Pacific service

• Jeff Lee
• October 29, 2019
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, News, Production Freighters, Strategy

Japan-based ANA Cargo today commenced long-haul freighter operations with its own 777F aircraft. The carrier deployed its second of two 777Fs (65757) for the first flight on the new route between Tokyo (NRT) and Chicago (ORD). ANA Cargo told Cargo Facts that today’s inaugural flight carried approximately 80 tonnes of freight, consisting mainly of cars, […]