BBAM quietly forays into next-gen narrowbody conversions

• Jeff Lee
• September 11, 2019
• Aircraft, Carriers, Conversions, Narrowbody Conversions, Strategy

San Francisco-headquartered BBAM is gradually expanding its footprint in the next-generation narrowbody conversion space, and with the recent redeliveries to China Postal Airlines, the lessor has become the first known lessor to have ordered conversions for both the 737 NG and the A321. China Postal received its first 737-800BCF in August 2019 and the second […]

YTO eyes widebodies while ATSG eyes new customers in Far East

• Jeff Lee
• August 6, 2019
• Aircraft, All Posts, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Express, Features, Strategy

Chinese express carrier YTO Cargo Airlines is exploring the possibility of adding widebody freighters that can carry 50-60 tonnes, the airline tells Cargo Facts. This would represent a big step for YTO, which currently operates a fleet consisting of seven 737-300Fs and five 757-200Fs. Although YTO said that it still hadn’t reached a decision on which […]

Qatar Airways takes delivery of 17th 777F, aims for 21 by year end

• Charles Kauffman
• July 30, 2019
• Aircraft, All Posts, Carriers, Features, News, Production Freighters

After completing a series of flight tests around Boeing’s Everett, WA factory last week, a 777F (66335) has just minutes ago departed Everett’s Paine Field (PAE) for Doha, Qatar (DOH) on delivery to Qatar Airways [FAT 005075]. The carrier has also accelerated delivery plans for four outstanding 777Fs on firm order with Boeing and expects […]

Freighter aircraft leasing part II: E-commerce behind growing leasing market

• Jeff Lee
• July 19, 2019
• Carriers, Conversions, Features, Freighter Fleet Analysis, Strategy

Last week, we began our two-part annual analysis of the increasingly complex world of freighter aircraft leasing. In part I, we started with an overview of how the freighter fleet belonging to lessors has evolved since our analysis a year ago. In part II, we consider the leased fleet by carrier, and how year-over-year shifts […]

Sichuan Airlines to launch freighter operations in October

• Jeff Lee
• July 15, 2019
• All Posts, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Features, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, News, Production Freighters, Strategy

Sichuan Airlines plans to commence scheduled operations with its A330Fs in October, with Brussels (BRU), Chennai (MAA) and Delhi (DEL) expected to be the first three destinations, the carrier told Cargo Facts. The Chengdu (CTU)-based airline took delivery of its first A330-200F (1350, ex-Qatar Airways) from BOC Aviation late last week [FAT 005047], and told […]

US and EU head for tariffs over aircraft aid, trade chief says

• Bloomberg News
• July 9, 2019
• Aircraft, All Posts, Bloomberg, Features

European Union Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom signaled that she expects the U.S. and EU to hit each other with tariffs as retaliation over illegal government aid to Airbus SE and Boeing Co. Malmstrom said the U.S. is entitled to strike first by the end of summer and the EU would follow suit five to six […]

737-800BCF shines at the 2019 Paris Air Show

• Jeff Lee
• June 24, 2019
• Aircraft, All Posts, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Conversions, E-Commerce, Freighter Aircraft Transactions

Now that the Paris Air Show 2019 is over, Cargo Facts is encouraged to see that, apart from the usual flurry of orders for passenger aircraft, the freighter market also appears to have received some healthy interest. Here’s a recap of freighter deals that were signed last week. GECAS converted ten of its fifteen previous […]

MNG and ULS keen to add A330P2Fs

• Jeff Lee
• June 5, 2019
• Aircraft, All Posts

MUNICH – Turkish carriers MNG Airlines and ULS Airlines Cargo are both considering A330P2Fs to renew their Airbus freighter fleets and could introduce at least five of the freighter-converted aircraft to Turkey over the next few years. On the sidelines of Air Cargo Europe 2019, executives from MNG told Cargo Facts the carrier is planning […]