Demand for 767 conversions stays strong

When Amazon announced its agreements with Air Transport Services Group (ATSG) and Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings for a forty-unit 767 freighter fleet, demand for 767 feedstock and conversion slots quickly ramped up. But this demand was accompanied by the question of “after Amazon, then what?” Once ATSG and Atlas had fulfilled their obligation to Amazon, […]

• David Harris
• November 3, 2017

Exclusive report on Precision’s latest conversion

Following an exclusive interview with Precision Aircraft Solutions VP Sales and Marketing Brian McCarthy, Cargo Facts can reveal Precision’s latest move in the narrowbody freighter conversion market. “All those other conversion houses are so boring. All they can think of is the same old same old. Tiny incremental steps. But not us. We at Precision […]

• David Harris
• October 31, 2017

First flight of the A330-300P2F

Late last week, EFW conducted a successful six-hour test flight of the first freighter-converted A330-300. This was actually the second flight, as the freighter did take off the day before, but, in the face of unfavorable conditions during Windstorm Xavier, landed after only a few minutes. Several more test flights have followed, and EFW says […]

• David Harris
• October 10, 2017

Vallair launches Precision’s A321 P-to-F program

MIAMI – At the Cargo Facts Symposium, 321 Precision Conversions’ (321PC) and Luxembourg-based lessor and aircraft manager Vallair Capital announced that Vallair, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Vallair Solutions sàrl, is the launch customer for  321 PC’s freighter conversion program for the Airbus A321-200. Vallair acquired the first unit to be converted in July, and has […]

• David Harris
• October 4, 2017

Alaska Air Cargo commences commercial flights with 737-700BDSF

Alaska Air Cargo’s recently-redelivered 737-700BDSF (30794) entered into commercial service yesterday, carrying freight from Seattle, where Alaska Airlines is headquartered, to Anchorage, the airline’s center for regional cargo operations within the state of Alaska. As we have mentioned in the past, this is particularly noteworthy, as it is not only Alaska’s first 737-700 freighter, but […]

• Charles Kauffman
• September 27, 2017

C3 launches A320/A321 P-to-F conversion program

California-based C3 Aerospace (pronounced “C Cubed”) formally launched passenger-to-freighter conversion programs for the Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft today. C3 did not release technical specifications for either freighter, nor any details about when it expects certification, but did provide some background information. Engineering for both the A320 and A321 conversion began some time ago, and […]

• David Harris
• September 6, 2017

Precision and ATSG form A321 freighter conversion JV

Ending its silence on the subject of “what comes next,” 757 conversion specialist Precision Aircraft Solutions this morning announced the formation of 321 Precision Conversions, LLC, a joint venture with Air Transport Services Group (ATSG) “to develop a passenger-to-freighter conversion of Airbus A321-200 Aircraft.” It has been something of an open secret in the industry […]

• David Harris
• August 7, 2017

China Air Cargo prepares for takeoff

Eight months ago, we reported that startup Chinese all-cargo carrier China Air Cargo Co. Ltd was about to take to the skies. It had taken redelivery of its first freighter – a Precision-converted 757-200PCF, and was within weeks of receiving its Operating Certificate. As is often the case, the final step, the dotting of the […]

• David Harris
• July 25, 2017

The turboprop freighter fleet in 2017 — Part III

In Parts I and II of this analysis we looked at the turboprop freighter fleet in detail, breaking it down by operator, and discussing the changes to the fleet in the last year on a type-by-type basis. But turboprop aircraft are not the only choice for operators looking for small freighters, and today we examine two […]

• David Harris
• July 12, 2017

The turboprop freighter fleet in 2017 – Part II

In part I of this analysis, we began our examination of the current turboprop freighter fleet with some background, and then offered a breakdown of the fleet by type and operator. Today, in Part II, we look at the fleet in more detail by type, while in Part III, we will take a close look […]

• David Harris
• July 10, 2017