Asiana ponders freighter fleet renewal

• Jeff Lee
• July 2, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Editorial, Equipment, News, Production Freighters, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

Amid an ongoing deal to be acquired by a consortium led by HDC Group, South Korea-based Asiana Airlines is looking toward the renewal of its freighter fleet, currently consisting of seven 747-400BDSFs, four 747-400Fs and one 767-300F, along with a parked 747-400BDSF. Asiana Cargo told Cargo Facts it is considering upgrading its fleet with 777Fs […]

A 777F for Turkmenistan?

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

Turkmenistan Airlines is looking to add a 777F to its fleet. Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov has approved the state-owned carrier’s purchase of the freighter, according to a government briefing [FAT 005487]. Local sources report the involvement of Lufthansa Consulting and suggest that lessor Aircraft Finance Germany (AFG) will be facilitating the transaction. AFG, for its […]

China Eastern revealed as customer behind two 777Fs

• Jeff Lee
• June 25, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Editorial, Equipment, Logistics, News, Production Freighters, Strategy

The mystery is no more — the customer for the two 777Fs Volga-Dnepr Group tried to stop Boeing from selling is China Eastern. The order had been attributed to an unidentified customer in Boeing’s tally for May [FATs 005483-005484]. The first aircraft (66623) was seen returning from a test flight at Boeing’s Everett (PAE) facility, […]

Emirates to operate 10 reconfigured 777-300ERs

• Jeff Lee
• June 25, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Equipment, News, Production Freighters, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

Emirates has begun operating reconfigured 777-300ERs with seats removed to create additional cargo capacity. The airline has already modified seven aircraft, with three more to follow by mid-July. These reconfigured 777s, called “mini freighters” by Emirates SkyCargo, add to the carrier’s substantial fleet of passenger freighters — 777-300ERs that have their passenger cabins intact — […]

Cargo delivers lifeline to Taiwanese cargo operators in 2020

• Charles Kauffman
• June 23, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Editorial, Equipment, News, Production Freighters, Strategy

Taiwan-based combination carrier China Airlines made an incredible pivot to cargo for the month of May 2020, reporting cargo revenue for the month up by 152.8% year-over-year. Despite reporting May passenger revenue down 96.3% year-over-year on passenger volumes that had dropped to just 9,121 from 1.3 million a year earlier, China Airlines acted more like […]

Qatar Airways hits the brakes on freighter deliveries

• Jeff Lee
• June 22, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, News, Strategy

With CEO Akbar Al Baker telling U.K.-based Sky News that Qatar Airways will not be taking delivery of any new aircraft in 2020 or 2021, the airline’s cargo fleet will remain static at the end of the year for the first time since 2013, when it withdrew its A300-600Fs from service. All the aircraft on […]

Boeing nabs freighter-only orders in May

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• June 9, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Editorial, Express, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, News, Production Freighters, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

Boeing secured firm orders for only nine aircraft in May, all relating to freighters, according to the planemaker’s orders and deliveries tally for the month. With the update, Boeing confirmed suspicions that UPS is the customer for a hotly contested 747-8F (63784) originally ordered by the Volga-Dnepr Group. FedEx also upped its official 767-300F backlog […]

Cargo Facts Connect: Volga v. Boeing, more Amazon freighters

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• June 5, 2020
• Aircraft, All Posts, Carriers, Editorial, News, Podcast, Production Freighters, Strategy, Video, Widebody Conversions

Russia-based Volga-Dnepr has now been denied its motion for a temporary restraining order to stop Boeing from selling a 747-8F and three 777Fs that were originally destined for AirBridgeCargo. And notably, Amazon announced the addition of more 767-300Fs to its already significant fleet of freighters, and GECAS and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) will soon kick […]