Cathay Pacific retires lone 747-400BCF

• Jeff Lee
• October 1, 2019
• Aircraft, Carriers, Conversions, Equipment, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, News, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific has withdrawn its single remaining 747-400BCF (25152) and ferried the freighter to the aircraft boneyard at Pinal Airpark (MZJ) in Marana, AZ, via Anchorage (ANC) and Los Angeles (LAX) [FAT 005156]. The aircraft had not flown since operating a round trip between Hong Kong (HKG) and Chennai (MAA) on Aug. 29. […]

August airfreight demand data reveals more of the same

• Charles Kauffman
• September 19, 2019
• Capacity & Demand, News

Airports and carriers almost unanimously reported lackluster August 2019 cargo traffic. This was no surprise given market performance over the past quarter, as air freight demand responds to slowing global trade. Indeed, FedEx cited lower volumes of German exports to China as a factor in its weaker-than-expected 1QFY20 results. This was echoed by Frankfurt Airport’s results and elsewhere […]

July 2019 airfreight demand: summer slump persists

• Charles Kauffman
• August 22, 2019
• Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Features

As airports and carriers begin to report their July 2019 cargo traffic results, airfreight demand – unsurprisingly – continues to respond negatively to increasing trade friction on the trans-Pacific trade lane, and elsewhere. Carriers from all regions almost unanimously reported moderate year-over-year declines. There is little change from June 2019, for which IATA reported a […]

CAAC warning could impact Cathay Pacific’s cargo ops

• Jeff Lee
• August 9, 2019
• Aircraft, All Posts, Carriers, Features, News

HONG KONG – The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has just issued what it called a “severe safety warning” to Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific in response to what it perceived as “safety risks recently exposed” by the airline. If enforced, the warning could impact not only flights connecting mainland China, but potentially Cathay flights passing through […]

Cathay freighters to carry lithium batteries again

• Jeff Lee
• August 1, 2019
• Aircraft, All Posts, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Features, News, Strategy

Standalone lithium-ion batteries can once again be carried by Cathay Pacific Cargo on its freighter aircraft, after the carrier developed and introduced a fire-containment bag. Shipments of standalone lithium-ion batteries are a significant driver of freighter traffic, especially given the growth of e-commerce and personal electronic devices. Under a provision adopted by the ICAO Council […]

Steep declines follow May uptick in June first look

• Charles Kauffman and Caryn Livingston
• July 22, 2019
• Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Features

As airports and carriers begin to report June 2019 cargo results, the picture of generally sluggish demand remains unchanged from the previous months. Despite the return to growth of a few Asia Pacific-based carriers during May 2019, almost unanimously, carriers and airports based in the region reported lower traffic in June 2019 compared to the […]

Air Hong Kong to bring ASL-operated A330Fs under own AOC

• Jeff Lee
• July 4, 2019
• Aircraft, All Posts, Carriers, Conversions, Features, News, Production Freighters, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

Wholly owned Cathay Pacific subsidiary Air Hong Kong (AHK) will soon be operating at least two A330 freighters under its own AOC, the carrier told Cargo Facts. While the carrier currently operates ten A300-600Fs, it had previously contracted ASL Airlines Ireland to operate a small fleet of A330Fs on an ACMI basis. The first aircraft, […]

European, Middle Eastern carriers see growth return in May first look

• Brianne Ledda
• June 25, 2019
• All Posts, Capacity & Demand, Carriers

After a particularly weak April for air cargo traffic, carriers based in Europe and the Middle East saw growth return in our first look at May results. Among those carriers based outside Europe and the Middle East, only China Southern Airlines reported a year-over-year increase for May traffic, of 1.1%. Turkish Cargo reported the strongest […]