Top 25 carrier rankings scrambled by fleet changes

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• August 12, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Editorial, Equipment, Features, Freighter Fleet Analysis, Logistics, News, Production Freighters, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

While the mix of carriers in the top-five bracket remained the same in 2019, the order in which they are ranked looks very different compared to a year ago, thanks to changes to their freighter fleets.  In our list of Top 25 Carriers by total FTKs, the top five leaders collectively added a net of twenty-three freighters in 2019. The […]

Return to the skies of passengers doesn’t spell the end of passenger freighters

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• June 22, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Conversions, Editorial, Equipment, Freighter Fleet Analysis, Logistics, Narrowbody Fleet Analysis, News, Strategy, Widebody Fleet Analysis

Even as passengers return to the skies, passenger freighters aren’t immediately headed for their demise. The uptick in passenger flights recorded from mid-June onward has not led to an immediate end to the use of passenger aircraft for cargo-only service. Although some aircraft have traded out cargo for passengers — or at least a mix […]

China Southern takes two 777Fs amid capacity crunch

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• May 26, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, News, Production Freighters, Strategy

Guangzhou-based China Southern Airlines has taken delivery of two 777Fs from Boeing (65421 and 65422) [FATs 005432-005433]. The dual deliveries boost the carrier’s freighter fleet at a time when available air cargo capacity is in short supply as passenger flight frequencies in China have yet to resume pre-COVID-19 levels. China Southern’s freighter fleet now numbers […]

GAMECO inducts first 737-800

• Jeff Lee
• May 19, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Editorial, Equipment, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Strategy

Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Company Ltd. (GAMECO) has kicked off its 737-800BCF conversion line with the induction of its first aircraft (29052, ex-Aeromexico) [FAT 005441]. GAMECO, which Boeing announced as its third conversion site for 737-800BCFs in October 2019, said it is also looking to launch a second -800BCF conversion line later this year. BBAM confirmed to […]

April brings more instability to Asia-Pacific cargo traffic

• Caryn Livingston
• May 18, 2020
• Capacity & Demand

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has managed to destabilize most of the global aviation market, even as disrupted supply chains have boosted airfreight rates to unprecedented highs. While in some cases that has led to startling increases in air cargo revenue in April and during the first quarter of 2020, the massive decrease in cargo capacity […]

Lufthansa Technik nabs customer for A380 freighter-lite

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• May 5, 2020
• Aircraft, All Posts, Editorial, Equipment, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

Lufthansa Technik has secured a contract to reconfigure an A380 as an “auxiliary freighter” capable of transporting cargo on its passenger decks. The experiment, prompted by the ongoing capacity crunch induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, will yield an aircraft that is the closest to an A380F the world has ever seen.  While Lufthansa Technik has […]

Lufthansa Technik to develop STC for ‘auxiliary freighters’

• Charles Kauffman
• April 24, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Conversions, Editorial, Equipment, News, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

Lufthansa Technik is developing passenger-to-cargo conversion programs that temporarily reconfigure passenger aircraft as “auxiliary freighters” capable of transporting cargo on the passenger deck. The MRO has already converted four A330-300s for its carrier affiliate Lufthansa, and the modification was subsequently approved by the German Federal Aviation Authority. While the first four aircraft will be permitted […]

Boeing deliveries continue despite shutdown

• Jeff Lee
• April 10, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Editorial, Equipment, News, Production Freighters

Boeing began a fourteen-day suspension of production in the Puget Sound region March 25, and extended the suspension April 5 until further notice, but that did not stop the manufacturer from delivering at least four completed aircraft to customers from its facility in Everett (PAE). A 767-300F (63115) was delivered to FedEx and flew to Indianapolis (IND) […]