DHL adds Kalitta Charters II as CMI provider

• Charles Kauffman
• June 26, 2020
• All Posts, Capacity & Demand, Conversions, Editorial, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, News

DHL Express has designated Kalitta Charters II as a CMI service provider, placing a 737-400F (26316) with the Ypsilanti-based airline [FAT 005482]. Kalitta Charters II told Cargo Facts it expects to have unit 26316 in service in the next few weeks. The aircraft was previously operated by Southern Air and was ferried from Cincinnati (CVG) […]

DHL to add three 767Fs with IAI conversion order

• Jeff Lee
• June 23, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Editorial, Equipment, Express, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, Logistics, News, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

DHL Express will grow its owned fleet with three more 767-300Fs, under a new conversion deal with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), and also has the option to convert another 767 with IAI [FATs 005471-005473]. IAI told Cargo Facts the aircraft will be converted at the Mexicana MRO Services facility in Mexico City (MEX), and expects the […]

Air Hong Kong expands fleet with third own-operated A330F

• Jeff Lee
• June 10, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Conversions, Equipment, Express, News, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

Air Hong Kong (AHK) will soon add to its fleet the A330-300F (777, ex-China Eastern Airlines) recently converted by Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW) and redelivered to DHL Express at the end of May. Unit 777 was sent from EFW’s facility in Dresden (DRS) to Malta (MLA) on May 28 to be painted, and has now been photographed in the […]

Boeing nabs freighter-only orders in May

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• June 9, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Editorial, Express, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, News, Production Freighters, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

Boeing secured firm orders for only nine aircraft in May, all relating to freighters, according to the planemaker’s orders and deliveries tally for the month. With the update, Boeing confirmed suspicions that UPS is the customer for a hotly contested 747-8F (63784) originally ordered by the Volga-Dnepr Group. FedEx also upped its official 767-300F backlog […]

EFW boosts gross weight with 777 redelivery

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• May 27, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Conversions, Equipment, Express, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, Logistics, News, Widebody Conversions

Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW) has completed the conversion of its fourth A330-300F (MSN 777, ex-China Eastern Airlines) and redelivered the aircraft to DHL Express [FAT 005434]. This is the first high-gross-weight conversion and delivers an upward revision to the maximum gross payload for the A330-300P2F. EFW previously listed the maximum gross payload for the A330-300 at […]

THG Air — U.K.’s newest cargo airline?

• Jeff Lee
• May 8, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Conversions, Editorial, Equipment, News, Production Freighters, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

British online retailer The Hut Group (THG) has launched THG Air with plans to add two A330 freighters. The aircraft, to be painted in THG colors, will be based at Manchester Airport (MAN), where the group’s headquarters are located. THG told Cargo Facts the aircraft are likely to be A330-200Fs, which are in the final […]

First 737-800BDSF begins flying with DHL

• Jeff Lee
• May 6, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Conversions, Editorial, Equipment, Express, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Strategy

In a series of firsts, the freshly certified 737-800BDSF has entered service with DHL Express and begun its first scheduled operations with the integrator. The first aircraft of its type to start regular flying anywhere in the world, unit 30498 (ex-Transaero Airlines) is also the first 737-800 to be converted by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). […]

Capacity crunch thrusts idled Southern Air 777F back into service

• Jeff Lee
• April 28, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Equipment, Express, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, News, Production Freighters, Strategy

A 777F that has been sitting on the ground for almost a year has taken to the skies again, thanks to the COVID-19 crisis and the widespread shortage of airfreight capacity. The aircraft (35606) is owned by Titan Aviation, the dry-leasing arm of Atlas Air, and was previously operated by Emirates until January 2019. It […]