Production freighter orders in 2019 – 747 nowhere to be seen

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• January 15, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Equipment, Features, Freighter Fleet Analysis, Production Freighters

Given that 2018 was such a stellar year for freighter orders, with eighty-three aircraft ordered, 2019 was perhaps always going to pale in comparison. Still, the year ended with a respectable twenty-eight production jet freighter aircraft being added to the order books. The orders for these twenty-eight aircraft, consisting of seventeen 777Fs and eleven 767-300Fs, […]

Top widebody freighter developments of 2019

• Jeff Lee
• January 3, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Conversions, Equipment, Production Freighters, Widebody Conversions

As the first week of 2020 draws to a close, we look back and reflect on some of the most important and newsworthy developments affecting freighter aircraft types in 2019, starting with widebodies. To begin with, we note that while stories involving the 747 are consistently among our most popular, in 2019 this seemed to […]

17 Asia-Pacific fleet additions in 2019

• Jeff Lee
• December 13, 2019
• Aircraft, Carriers, Conversions, Equipment, Narrowbody Conversions, Production Freighters, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

Earlier this week, we looked at how the freighter fleet in mainland China has grown in 2019. As the year draws to a close, here’s an overview of the seventeen freighter aircraft that were added to carriers based elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific region over the course of the year. [Note: for the purposes of this […]

October 2019 cargo traffic: Peak is present, but it’s no 2018

• Charles Kauffman
• November 18, 2019
• Carriers

Many of the world’s major carriers have now reported their results for October 2019 cargo traffic, and, as shown in the chart at right, annual comparisons are not spectacular. Peak season has been strong in recent years, and cargo traffic rose 3.1% year-over-year in October 2018. Air cargo demand in October 2019, although lackluster compared to last […]

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 […]

Another 747-400BCF reactivated?

• Jeff Lee
• September 26, 2019
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

A Thai Airways 747-400BCF (24459) has just been ferried from U-Tapao Rayong Pattaya International Airport (UTP), where it had been in storage for four-and-a-half years, to Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK). Cargo Facts believes that this aircraft may be undergoing maintenance ahead of redelivery to another operator. Unit 24459 was originally delivered to Thai in […]

China Airlines firms up three more 777Fs

• Jeff Lee
• September 4, 2019
• Aircraft, All Posts, Carriers, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, News, Production Freighters, Strategy

Taiwan-based China Airlines has finalized an order for six 777Fs from Boeing as it looks to modernize its 747-400F fleet. The carrier had previously signed a memorandum of understanding with Boeing in May 2019 for three 777Fs plus options for three more [FATs 005116 - 5118]. According to Boeing, after China Airlines announced its intent […]

After latest UPS delivery, Boeing’s 747-8F order backlog slips into the teens

• Charles Kauffman
• September 3, 2019
• Aircraft, All Posts, Carriers, Features, Production Freighters

Following a delivery to UPS last week (64263) [FAT 005115], Boeing’s order backlog for the 747-8F now stands at just nineteen units. Of the nineteen-unit 747-8F backlog, most future deliveries will go to UPS, which still has fifteen of the type remaining on firm order with Boeing. As for the other four units in Boeing’s […]