Mongolian startup adds first 737-300F to AOC, but will it make freighters work in Mongolia?

• Charles Kauffman
• July 24, 2019
• All Posts, Carriers, Features

On July 20, a 737-300F (25172, ex-China Postal Airlines) landed in Ulaanbaatar (ULN) on delivery to startup carrier Mongolian Airways Cargo. Long-term plans call for the conversion of at least two more 737-300s to support continued growth of the fleet, a source familiar with the startup’s plans told Cargo Facts. Once operational, the aircraft will […]

IAI aims for 737-800BDSF STC by next month

• Jeff Lee
• July 23, 2019
• Aircraft, All Posts, Conversions, Features, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Strategy

Israel Aerospace Industries’ (IAI) Aviation Group is nearing the end of testing for its 737-800BDSF program and expects to receive the supplemental type certificate (STC) by the end of August 2019, the company tells Cargo Facts. Certification had previously been anticipated for May or June this year. Test flights with the first 737-800 to be […]

PEMCO prepares to convert fourth 737-300 for Rostrum Leasing

• Jeff Lee
• July 12, 2019
• Aircraft, All Posts, Conversions, Features, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Strategy

On July 10, a 737-300 (27710, ex-Southwest) was ferried from storage in Victorville (VCV) to Tampa (TPA). PEMCO Conversions confirmed to Cargo Facts that this aircraft is due to be inducted for conversion into freighter configuration at its TPA facility, and that the customer will be Ireland-based Rostrum Leasing. PEMCO said that unit 27710 will […]

Connect Cargo becomes Brazil’s latest freighter airline

• Jeff Lee
• June 28, 2019
• Aircraft, All Posts, Carriers, News

Brazilian startup Connect Cargo has completed its Part 121 certification with ANAC, Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency, and has been granted its AOC, paving the way for the launch of scheduled commercial operations. The company will base its two PEMCO-converted 737-400Fs (27087, ex-Malaysia Airlines, and 26605, ex-Japan Transocean Air) at Recife (REC) and fly them […]

Ex-Alaska 737-400 combis start to find new life as full freighters

• Jeff Lee
• June 13, 2019
• Conversions, News

Canada-based Avmax took redelivery of the first of two combi-to-freighter converted 737-400Fs (25099, ex-Alaska Airlines) it has on order with PEMCO World Air Services. Avmax tells Cargo Facts that a second 737-400M (25100) has also been converted to full-freighter configuration and that it is considering full-freighter conversion as an option for the remaining three 737-400 Combis in its portfolio.  Starting with the first […]

Resurgence seen in 737-300 P-to-F conversions

• Charles Kauffman
• May 7, 2019
• Conversions, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, News

This week, a 737-300QC (28054, ex-Mistral Air) was ferried to San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO), where it was inducted for conversion to full-freighter configuration at the COOPESA facility by PEMCO. In the coming months, carriers in Latin America and Asia are planning to add more of the 737-300F fleet type. The -300QC induction follows a […]

Freighter aircraft transactions through the first half of April

• Caryn Livingston and Charles Kauffman
• April 15, 2019
• Freighter Aircraft Transactions

Every week in Cargo Facts Update, we include a list of recent freighter aircraft transactions, and then a comprehensive summary in the monthly issue of Cargo Facts. Each reference to a freighter aircraft transaction (FAT) in our publications contains a unique FAT code linked to the FAT database on the CargoFacts.com website. This database is […]

737 Classics may still have a role to play in 727F fleet modernization

• Charles Kauffman
• April 12, 2019
• Aircraft, All Posts, Conversions

With deliveries of “third generation” narrowbody conversions, to which the 737 NGs and A320/21 family programs belong, beginning to accelerate, it’s easy to juxtapose the new generation of narrowbody freighters with the 737 Classics and lose sight of the first generation of narrowbody freighters: 727Fs. As 737-400 feedstock dwindles, will 737-300s see a resurgence as […]