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 […]

A look at special-edition freighter liveries

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• July 14, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Editorial, News, Production Freighters, Strategy

Special liveries, common for passenger aircraft, are few and far between when it comes to freighters, but Cargolux has produced what could be the first retro paint scheme for a cargo aircraft. The 747-400F (35170, ex-CargoLogicAir) returned to Cargolux headquarters in Luxembourg (LUX) on July 14 after spending two weeks in Shannon (SNN), where it […]

10 carriers where cargo contributes the most

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• June 17, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Editorial, Logistics, News, Production Freighters, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

Between 2018 and 2019, the contribution of cargo to a combination carrier’s top line decreased almost unanimously as the airfreight market entered cool-down mode after a multi-year growth streak. With the exception of Qatar Airways, all of the top-ten carriers by cargo revenue contribution saw cargo play a reduced or unchanged role in 2019. With […]

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 […]

‘COVID-19 freighter fleet’ tops 350

• Jeff Lee
• April 13, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Equipment, Freighter Fleet Analysis, Logistics, News, Strategy

The number of aircraft that carriers have operated for the sole purpose of transporting cargo during the COVID-19 crisis has more than doubled in the past two weeks to more than 350, based on analysis by Cargo Facts. See also: 130+ passenger aircraft added to ‘COVID-19 freighter fleet’ The nature of these makeshift freighter operations […]

130+ passenger aircraft added to ‘COVID-19 freighter fleet’

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• March 31, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Equipment, Exclusive, Freighter Fleet Analysis, Logistics, News, Strategy

As borders are severely restricted and passenger flights are cancelled around the world because of the COVID-19 pandemic, at least forty airlines have operated some 135 empty passenger aircraft for the sole purpose of carrying cargo, analysis by Cargo Facts has found. With bellyholds traditionally moving 40%-80% of the cargo on a given lane, the […]

EFW begins converting young A330 for DHL

• Jeff Lee
• March 12, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Conversions, Equipment, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, News, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

The youngest A330 to be sent for conversion arrived at the Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW) facility in Dresden (DRS) on March 10. The A330-300 (1124) previously in service with Hong Kong Airlines, is just under ten years old. EFW confirmed to Cargo Facts the aircraft has been inducted for conversion into freighter configuration [FAT 005354], and […]

Altavair widebody fleet purchase could accelerate A330P2F conversions

• Charles Kauffman
• February 5, 2020
• Aircraft, Conversions, Editorial

Seattle-based Altavair signed a $1 billion agreement to acquire thirty-eight widebody aircraft currently owned by Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways. The acquisition includes sixteen 777-300ERs, sixteen A330-200s and six A330-300s. Altavair is considering freighter conversion as an option for the A330s, a move that could quickly accelerate the introduction of A330P2Fs. Although a large market has […]