ASL Airlines Belgium to lease China Airlines 747-400F

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• October 25, 2019
• Carriers, Exclusive, Production Freighters

A 747-400F (30762, ex-China Airlines) will soon join the ASL Airlines Belgium fleet, Cargo Facts has learned [FAT 005217]. Previously the aircraft had been in long-term storage at Victorville (VCV), where China Airlines has two other 747-400Fs in storage (30760 and 30761). The reactivation pushes the stored 747-400F fleet even lower. Cargo Facts estimates there are now just four 747-400F […]

ACMI Operators (global express fleet – part IV)

• Charles Kauffman
• October 18, 2019
• Express Fleet Analysis, Features, Freighter Fleet Analysis, News

Earlier this week, we began our four-part analysis of the worldwide express freighter fleet. Part I offers a look at the overall fleet of jet freighters used now by the integrated express operators, and how that fleet has changed over the years. In Part II we examined the fleets of relative newcomers to the industry, […]

Third A330-300P2F set to join Air Hong Kong fleet

• Jeff Lee
• October 8, 2019
• Aircraft, Carriers, Conversions, Exclusive, Express, News, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

DHL Express plans to place its third freighter-converted A330-300F (231, ex-Thai Airways) with Air Hong Kong. The express integrator confirmed to Cargo Facts that this aircraft will begin its Asian operations later this month. Unit 231 was redelivered by Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW) in September 2019 and was painted into the Air Hong Kong livery in […]

ASL adds 737-400F to Irish affiliate

• Jeff Lee
• September 9, 2019
• Aircraft, All Posts, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Conversions, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Strategy

ASL Aviation Holdings has taken redelivery of a 737-400SF (25773, ex-Yamal Airlines). The aircraft is on lease from U.S.-based Vx Capital Partners and will be joining the ASL Airlines Ireland fleet [FATs 005127-005128]. Unit 25773 was ferried from Jacksonville (VQQ), where it was converted at the Flightstar facility by Aeronautical Engineers, Inc. (AEI), to Shannon […]

ASL Airlines 747-400ERF still stuck in Nanchang after aborted takeoff

• Charles Kauffman
• August 27, 2019
• Aircraft, All Posts, Carriers, Features, Production Freighters

ASL Airlines Belgium is down a 747-400ERF. On August 23, a 747-400ERF (33516) operated by ASL Airlines Belgium was en-route to Liege (LGG) from Nanchang (KHN) when the crew rejected the takeoff. While decelerating, the aircraft’s brakes overheated and deflated fourteen of the tires. The crew managed to safely evacuate the aircraft from the upper […]

Turboprop freighter fleet analysis 2019: A stable niche or still nascent?

• Charles Kauffman
• July 18, 2019
• Carriers, Conversions, Features, News, Regional Fleet Analysis

The turboprop freighter fleet for aircraft with payloads of 3.8 - 8.8 tonnes grew by just 7% year-over-year to 181 units in June 2019, up 12 units from a total of 169 the year prior. While growth of 7% wouldn’t be unimpressive on its own, many of the additions this year stemmed from the reactivation […]

ASL signs MoU for up to 20 737-800BCFs

• Jeff Lee
• June 19, 2019
• Aircraft, All Posts, Carriers, Conversions, Express, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, News

Ireland-based ASL Aviation Holdings placed a firm order for ten 737-800BCFs with purchase rights for an additional ten, in a memorandum of understanding signed with Boeing today at the Paris Air Show [FATs 004986-5005]. While these will be the first 737-800BCFs to be owned by ASL itself, the company has, since last year, already been […]

STAR Capital finalizes acquisition of ASL Aviation

• Caryn Livingston
• June 5, 2019
• All Posts, Carriers

European private equity firm STAR Capital completed its acquisition of Ireland-based ASL Aviation Holdings, announced in February of this year. ASL Aviation’s airlines include ASL Airlines Ireland, ASL Airlines Belgium, ASL Airlines France, and ASL Airlines Hungary, and combined, the group operates a total of 130 passenger and freighter aircraft ranging from 747s to ATR […]