7 airlines with the most cargo-only flights

• Jeff Lee
• September 15, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Conversions, Editorial, Equipment, Logistics, News, Strategy

Faced with shrinking route networks, airlines began using passenger widebody passenger aircraft solely to transport cargo in March. Now, almost six months later, these operations are not only ongoing at many of the world’s major airlines, but represent a financial lifeline against the slow recovery of the passenger market. Tens of thousands of cargo-only flights […]

Qatar sells A330-200F to Hungary

• Jeff Lee
• September 8, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Editorial, Equipment, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, Logistics, News, Production Freighters, Strategy

One of Qatar Airways’ A330-200Fs has been acquired by the Hungarian government, according to local publication Origo. The aircraft (1578) will reportedly be operated by low-cost carrier Wizz Air [FAT 005604]. Apart from a test flight around Doha (DOH) on Aug. 31, unit 1578 had not flown since being removed from service after mid-July. In […]

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 […]

3 trends in July passenger-freighter operations

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• July 23, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Editorial, Equipment, News, Strategy

Some regions continue to see an expansion of cargo-only operations utilizing passenger aircraft, despite falling demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) to combat COVID-19 and the resumption of some international passenger flights. As the capacity and commodity mix evolves, here are three trends Cargo Facts has gleaned from analysis of passenger freighter flights in July: […]

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 […]

Qatar Airways hits the brakes on freighter deliveries

• Jeff Lee
• June 22, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, News, Strategy

With CEO Akbar Al Baker telling U.K.-based Sky News that Qatar Airways will not be taking delivery of any new aircraft in 2020 or 2021, the airline’s cargo fleet will remain static at the end of the year for the first time since 2013, when it withdrew its A300-600Fs from service. All the aircraft on […]

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 […]

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 […]