ASL’s Andrew joins panel at Cargo Facts Symposium

• Jeff Lee
• October 1, 2020
• Aircraft, Cargo Facts Symposium, Carriers, Conversions, Editorial, Equipment, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Strategy

Cargo Facts is pleased to announce that Dave Andrew, group chief executive of Ireland-based ASL Aviation Holdings, will join Cargo Facts Symposium 2020, a virtual event on Oct. 27-28, to speak in a session titled “Narrowbody freighters: Prospects for conversion and fleet expansion.” This virtual panel will take place from 11-11:45 a.m. EST on Wednesday, […]

Parked 747 fleet wanes as National brings three out of storage

• Jeff Lee
• September 30, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Conversions, Editorial, Equipment, Logistics, News, Production Freighters, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

Florida-headquartered National Airlines will grow its in-service 747 freighter fleet to five aircraft by the end of November with the reactivation of three -400BCFs. The three ex-Cathay Pacific aircraft, parked in Marana (MZJ) since 2013 and acquired by National in May 2019, were brought out of long-term storage in quick succession and taken to the VT […]

NCA to grow managed 747-400F fleet with ASL deal?

• Charles Kauffman
• August 25, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Equipment, Exclusive, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, Logistics, Production Freighters, Widebody Fleet Analysis

Two factory-built 747-400Fs that were on long-term lease with AirBridgeCargo until earlier this year (36784 and 36785) have exited storage at Teruel (TEV) and are being prepared for service re-entry. Both aircraft were ferried to Frankfurt Hahn Airport (HHN), according to Flightaware, and appear to be undergoing maintenance ahead of service re-entry with ASL Airlines […]

Freighters carry medical aid from China to Europe

• Jeff Lee
• March 25, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Conversions, Editorial, Equipment, Logistics, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Production Freighters, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

As the COVID-19 crisis worsens in Europe, a plethora of medical equipment and aid is now being flown in from China by a range of freighter aircraft, whether production, converted or makeshift. ASL Airlines Belgium is currently operating ten flights a week using 747-400Fs between Liege and China. While these flights transported medical supplies from […]

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 […]

China Airlines remarkets three 747-400Fs

• Jeff Lee
• February 19, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Equipment, News, Production Freighters, Strategy

[This article has been amended to reflect that the aircraft currently being remarketed are units 30759, 30763 and 30764, not 30759, 30760 and 30762.] Taiwan-based China Airlines is looking to remove three 747-400Fs as it prepares to replace its fleet by taking delivery of new 777Fs later this year. Japan-based SK&Y Associates has been engaged […]

Chapman Freeborn parent acquires Bluebird Nordic

• Jeff Lee
• January 30, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Equipment, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Strategy

Lithuania-based Avia Solutions Group will fully acquire Iceland-based Bluebird Nordic from BB Holding and enter the narrowbody freighter segment for the first time. Bluebird, whose fleet currently consists of a single 737-300BDSF alongside five 737-400Fs, operates flights within Europe on an ACMI basis for several carriers, including ASL Airlines Belgium, EAT Leipzig, Swiftair and Poste Air […]

El Al secures 747 capacity with Atlas, sidelines other operators

• Charles Kauffman
• January 7, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Equipment, News

In what may come as a blow to European 747F operators, Israel-based El Al Airlines began wet-leasing a 747-400F from U.S.-based Atlas Air [FAT 005279]. Flights between Tel Aviv (TLV) and Liege (LGG) began on Jan. 1. The move to lease-in capacity follows El Al’s 2019 decision to cease freighter operations of its own, and […]