GAMECO inducts first 737-800

• Jeff Lee
• May 19, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Editorial, Equipment, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Strategy

Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Company Ltd. (GAMECO) has kicked off its 737-800BCF conversion line with the induction of its first aircraft (29052, ex-Aeromexico) [FAT 005441]. GAMECO, which Boeing announced as its third conversion site for 737-800BCFs in October 2019, said it is also looking to launch a second -800BCF conversion line later this year. BBAM confirmed to […]

Startup Air Falcon receives first freighter

• Jeff Lee
• May 18, 2020
• Carriers, Equipment, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Strategy

Pakistan-based Air Falcon has taken redelivery of its first aircraft, a 737-300F (27713, ex-Southwest Airlines) on lease from Rostrum Leasing [FAT 005417]. Unit 27713, converted by PEMCO in 2019 and stored in Victorville (VCV) since November, departed VCV May 15 to begin its ferry flight to Pakistan, stopping in Bangor (BGR), Keflavik (KEF) and Varna […]

BlackRock fund hedges aviation bet with freighters

• Charles Kauffman
• May 12, 2020
• Aircraft, All Posts, Carriers, Conversions, Editorial, Equipment, Logistics, Narrowbody Conversions, Production Freighters

Aviation Holdings III, a pooled private equity fund from BlackRock, is diversifying its portfolio with an order for three 737-800SF freighter conversions from Aeronautical Engineers Inc. (AEI) and the acquisition of three 747-400Fs [FATs 005405-5409]. Although BlackRock’s previous aviation funds have held freighters, the current weakness of the passenger market brought about by the COVID-19 […]

Sun Country launches Amazon 737-800F ops

• Jeff Lee
• May 11, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Equipment, Narrowbody Conversions, News

Sun Country Airlines has started flying 737-800BCFs for Amazon, making the airline the third operator of the 737-800F in the U.S. Sun Country brought the first aircraft (32348, ex-Pegasus) to its base in Minneapolis (MSP) on April 22, after it had been ferried from Shanghai (PVG) to Everett (PAE) in March upon conversion. A test […]

Central Airlines receives first 737-300F

• Jeff Lee
• April 14, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Conversions, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Strategy

China’s newest cargo carrier, Central Airlines, has received its first fully painted aircraft. The 737-300F (25998, ex-Suparna Airlines), acquired by the company last year, was painted at the STAECO (Rizhao) Aircraft Engineering Co facility in Rizhao (RIZ) in Shandong province, and arrived back in Zhengzhou (CGO) on April 11. In December 2019, the Civil Aviation Administration of […]

Coronavirus snarls freighter redeliveries out of China

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• March 13, 2020
• Aircraft, All Posts, Conversions, Equipment, Narrowbody Conversions, News

Redeliveries of some freighter conversions being carried out at MROs in China will encounter disruptions and delays until travel restrictions are lifted. Even as MRO workers return from a Lunar New Year holiday that was prolonged by quarantine measures undertaken to combat the novel coronavirus outbreak, many key stakeholders in the process remain stuck outside […]

BBAM expands fleet of 737-800BCFs

• Jeff Lee
• February 11, 2020
• Aircraft, Conversions, Equipment, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Strategy

BBAM has placed an order for three more 737-800BCFs from Boeing [FATs 005323-005325]. The lessor, which has already taken redelivery of two 737-800BCFs, will take three 737-800s from its existing portfolio of 134 and convert them into freighter configuration. The first aircraft will be converted by Boeing at the Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Company Ltd. […]

SpiceJet grows freighter fleet with second 737-800BCF

• Jeff Lee
• November 8, 2019
• Aircraft, Carriers, Conversions, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, Narrowbody Conversions, News

India-based SpiceJet will soon receive its second 737-800BCF (30475), on lease from Spectre Air Capital [FATs 005231-005232]. With this redelivery, the carrier grows its freighter fleet to five units. Unit 30475 has been spotted in Jinan (TNA), where it was converted by Boeing at the Taikoo (Shandong) Aircraft Engineering Co., Ltd. (STAECO) facility. The aircraft was manufactured in […]