Volga-Dnepr and Boeing in legal spat over order backlog

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• June 1, 2020
• Aircraft, All Posts, Business, Carriers, Equipment, Freighter Fleet Analysis, News, Production Freighters, Strategy, Widebody Fleet Analysis

Volga-Dnepr Group, through its U.K. affiliate, is motioning for a temporary restraining order against Boeing in an attempt to reclaim delivery rights to a 747-8F and three 777Fs Boeing began remarketing earlier this year, after the group signaled earlier this year that it was no longer in a position to take delivery of the aircraft. […]

Cessna SkyCourier commences flight testing

• Charles Kauffman
• May 19, 2020
• Aircraft, All Posts, Carriers, Equipment, News

Textron Aviation completed a two hour and fifteen minute test flight for its in-development Cessna SkyCourier turboprop aircraft May 17. During the flight, test pilots evaluated the aircraft’s stability and control, as well as propulsion, environmental, flight controls and avionics systems. In the coming months, subsequent tests utilizing the prototype and other ground test units […]

Cargolux ushers in 50th business year with 2019 net profit

• Charles Kauffman
• April 29, 2020
• All Posts, Carriers, Editorial, Equipment, News, Production Freighters

All-cargo carrier Cargolux reported a net profit of $20.2 million in 2019, on total revenues that were down 14.2% to $2.26 billion. The lower net profit represents a 90% decrease from the previous year’s net income of $211.2 million but is otherwise decent for a year that saw a 3.3% decline in overall cargo traffic, […]

CargoLogicAir may reactivate AOC amid pandemic

• Charles Kauffman
• April 17, 2020
• All Posts, Editorial, Equipment, News, Production Freighters

The very crisis that was seen as the death knell for U.K.-based CargoLogicAir (CLA) could soon reintroduce its idled fleet to the skies under the carrier’s own AOC. CargoLogicAir is working with the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority, or CAA, to reactivate its AOC in a move that would enable CLA to redeploy its 747-400F fleet […]

Turkish Cargo continues to grow fleet

• Charles Kauffman
• January 27, 2020
• Aircraft, Equipment, News

Turkish Cargo took delivery of a production freighter from Boeing on Jan. 23 (64240) [FAT 005297]. Since adding its first 777F in December 2017, the cargo arm of Turkish Airlines has rapidly grown its 777F fleet to seven units. Although both Qatar Airways and FedEx added more 777Fs than Turkish Cargo during the same period […]

Qatar Airways turns to South America as 777F fleet grows

• Charles Kauffman
• December 2, 2019
• Aircraft, Equipment, News, Production Freighters

Doha-based Qatar Airways Cargo is adding scheduled 777F flights to destinations in Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Peru beginning on Jan. 16, 2020, the carrier announced this week. The planned network expansion follows the delivery last week of the carrier’s twenty-first 777F from Boeing. Qatar Airways Cargo (QR Cargo) has five more 777Fs on order as […]

SF Express earmarks $212 million for aircraft purchases in latest bond offer

• Charles Kauffman
• November 22, 2019
• Aircraft, All Posts, Conversions, Equipment, Narrowbody Conversions, Widebody Conversions

This week, Shenzhen-based SF Holdings, the parent of SF Express and SF Airlines, announced the issuance of six-year convertible bonds in hopes of raising US$825 million (5.8 billion yuan). Of this amount, the largest allocation, some $212 million, will go towards aviation-related expenses including maintenance of SF Airlines’ existing freighter fleet, and to fund the […]

Lockheed Martin certifies LM-100J, pushes first delivery to 2020

• Charles Kauffman
• November 19, 2019
• Aircraft, All Posts, Editorial, Equipment, Production Freighters

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a type certificate for Lockheed Martin’s LM-100J, the updated commercial variant of the C-130J “Super Hercules.” With the certification, the aircraft is now cleared to operate at any commercial airfield worldwide and deliveries can commence. While the first delivery to launch operator Pallas Aviation had been expected by year-end […]