Estafeta grows fleet with 737-400F

• Jeff Lee
• March 6, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Conversions, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Strategy

Mexico-based Estafeta Cargo Aerea will shortly add to its fleet a 737-400SF (28661, ex-Asia Cargo Express), on lease from Vx Capital Partners [FAT 005350-005351]. Estafeta told Cargo Facts it expects to take redelivery of the aircraft in a matter of days. The aircraft, first delivered to Spanish airline Air Europa in 1997, was stored in […]

Classic freighter transactions surge in January

• Charles Kauffman
• February 27, 2020
• Carriers, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, News

Of the sixteen freighter aircraft transactions (FATs) recorded by Cargo Facts in January 2020, more than half involved “classic” freighters, which are defined as aircraft models now dated by a modern alternatives. Conversion orders for narrowbody freighters continued throughout 2019 amid feedstock disruptions stemming from the grounded 737 MAX. An uptick in the number of older widebody […]

Connect Cargo freighters grounded

• Jeff Lee
• February 17, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Conversions, Narrowbody Conversions, News

Brazilian startup Connect Cargo’s two leased 737-400Fs are currently grounded and could end up being repossessed by Luxembourg-based Vallair. According to ANAC, Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency, the two aircraft are no longer cleared for commercial flights. Connect Cargo, which only completed its Part 121 certification with ANAC and was granted its AOC in June […]

CF EMEA: E-commerce drives narrowbody demand

• Jeff Lee
• February 14, 2020
• Aircraft, Cargo Facts EMEA 2020 - Video Series, Conversions, Equipment, Narrowbody Conversions, News

FRANKFURT — Even though the narrowbody freighter market is becoming increasingly competitive, the growth of e-commerce means there’s ample opportunity for aircraft lessors, with an estimated yearly demand for approximately sixty narrowbody freighters every year for the next twenty years. Vx Capital, the largest lessor of 737-400Fs, currently has a portfolio of two 737-300Fs and […]

ASL grows its 737 Classic fleet

• Charles Kauffman
• February 10, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Conversions, Equipment, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Strategy

ASL Airlines Ireland has added a 737-400F (29204, ex-Yamal Airlines) on lease from Royal Aero GmbH [FAT 005319].   The delivery highlights the willingness of ACMI operators to continue adding to their fleets 737 Classic conversions while feedstock for 737 NG conversions remains in short supply. Last week at Cargo Facts EMEA in Frankfurt, panelists in a roundtable discussion on the topic of freighter conversions […]

EMEA 2020: 737 MAX feedstock issues to persist

• Jeff Lee
• February 5, 2020
• Aircraft, Cargo Facts EMEA, Events, Narrowbody Conversions

FRANKFURT — The worldwide grounding of the 737 MAX continues to have a negative impact on 737NG feedstock that is expected to last for at least a few years, according to speakers in the sixth session of Cargo Facts EMEA 2020 this week. “This is a longer-term problem and we believe this is going to […]

AEI adds conversions as interest in 737 Classics continues

• Jeff Lee
• January 21, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Conversions, Equipment, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Strategy

Aeronautical Engineers Inc. (AEI) and Vx Capital Partners have signed an agreement for the conversion of three 737-400s into freighter configuration. Following redelivery, Vx will have converted a total of twenty-eight 737 Classics, including twenty-six with AEI. Vx’s overall leasing portfolio will grow to forty-three 737-400Fs. The aircraft are the only three 737-400s left in the […]

European freighter fleet analysis (Part I): 737 Classics drive growth, for now

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• December 23, 2019
• Aircraft, Carriers, Features, Freighter Fleet Analysis, Narrowbody Conversions, Narrowbody Fleet Analysis

In a year as tumultuous as 2019, it’s encouraging to see that European carriers continued to add freighter aircraft. Today we begin an analysis which will take a closer look at these fleets, starting with narrowbody jets in Part I and moving to widebodies in Part II. To begin with, we note that for this […]