Aviation leaders partner on India relief flight
The coordinated efforts of a group of aviation leaders have resulted in a B747 freighter carrying 50 tonnes of urgently-needed Covid relief aid, including life-saving oxygen machines, arriving in New Delhi this week. ➤
IAI does deal for B777 freighter conversions in South Korea
Driven by demand expectations, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) is expanding its B777 freighter conversion capacity with a new facility in Incheon, South Korea. ➤
Silk Way West signs for five B777 Freighters
Silk Way West Airlines signs a purchase agreement with Boeing to purchase five B777 Freighter aircraft, with delivery planned over 2023-2027. ➤
GA Telesis orders four additional B737-800 P2Fs from AEI
GA Telesis (GAT) places four additional firm orders for B737-800SF freighter conversions with Aeronautical Engineers, Inc. (AEI). ➤
‘Big Twin’ conversion programme passes key milestone
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) pass a key milestone in the B777-300ER passenger-to-freighter (P2F) conversion programme. The milestone marks the planned halfway phase of the Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) Development ➤
Vallair places B737-400F with Malaysian start-up Kargo Xpress
Vallair places its final B737-400 freighter with Malaysia’s M Jets International, the first freighter in M Jets’ fleet, to be operated under the brand Kargo Xpress. ➤
IAI, Aviatic establishing MRO facility in Lithuania
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) partners with Aviatic MRO to establish an aircraft maintenance centre at the Siauliai Airport (SQQ), Lithuania. ➤
Cargo important to ATR’s Covid-recovery strategy
ATR is aiming for a more significant global presence in the next decade, in part by tapping its new-build freighter offering. ➤
Icelandair does B767-300ER sale/leaseback deal with Titan
Titan Aircraft Investments, a joint venture between Titan Aviation Holdings and Bain Capital Credit are acquiring two B767-300ER aircraft from Icelandair. ➤
Vallair prepares for Q4 surge with new Châteauroux facility
Vallair has signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with the Centre-Val de Loire Region and the Châteauroux Centre Airport Establishment for a new MRO and conversion facility at Châteauroux (CHO). ➤
Lufthansa Cargo posts record results, plans to add another B777F
Lufthansa Cargo posts its best result in its 26-year history as the global pandemic stokes demand, with the carrier saying it will acquire an another B777 Freighter. ➤
United Cargo rejigs schedule after 24 B777-200s pulled
United Airlines’ cargo schedule will be impacted by the carrier’s removal of 24 B777-200 aircraft following an engine failure of United flight 328 over the weekend. ➤
LATAM unveils bold expansion plans with 8 B767-300 P2Fs
LATAM Airlines Group is planning a major expansion of its cargo operations with the conversion of up to eight B767-300ER aircraft into Boeing Converted Freighters in the next three years. ➤
ASL Aviation exercises its options on 10 B737-800BCFs
ASL Aviation Holdings (ASL) confirms that it is taking up 10 options for the B737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF). ➤
AEI, Aero Capital Solutions settle on 10 more B737-800SFs
Aeronautical Engineers, Inc. (AEI) announces a contract to provide mid-life lessor Aero Capital Solutions (ACS) with 10 additional B737-800SF Freighter Conversions. This news follows an AEI announcement in October 2020 providing ACS with four B737-800SFs. ➤
Kenya Airways, Avianor carry out first B787 ‘preighter’ conversion
Kenya Airways (KQ) and Avianor, an aircraft MRO and cabin integration specialist reach an agreement to jointly repurpose two of the carrier’s B787 aircraft cabins for cargo carriage. ➤
Amazon makes aircraft purchase foray with 11 B767s
E-commerce and logistics giant, Amazon announces its first-ever purchase of eleven B767-300 aircraft for conversion into freighters for its in-house cargo airline. ➤
Qatar Airways adds 3 B777Fs pushing freighter fleet to 30
Qatar Airways Cargo takes delivery of three brand new B777 freighters, bringing its total freighter fleet count to 30 aircraft. ➤
FedEx Express takes delivery of first of 30 ATR 72-600Fs
FedEx Express takes delivery of the first-ever purpose-built turboprop regional freighter. This follows the company’s 2017 signing of a firm order of 30 aircraft, with the option to purchase 20 more. ➤
Atlas Air Worldwide scoops up Boeing’s final four 747-8Fs
Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings orders four new B747-8 freighters driven by what it says is particularly strong, continuing growth in the e-commerce and express sectors. ➤
Kuehne+Nagel shifts gears into P2F conversion logistics
Kuehne+Nagel is tapping its KN InteriorChain logistics service in developing an integrated end-to-end solution to support passenger to freighter (P2F) conversions. ➤
SF Airlines brings fleet to 61 with another B757-200 P2F
SF Airlines, the air carrier division of China’s SF Express, has taken delivery of its latest B757-200F converted freighter. ➤
Boeing opens two more P2F conversion lines in Asia
Boeing is opening two additional lines for B737/B767 passenger to freighter (P2F) conversions in Guangzhou, China, and Singapore. The move is based on what Boeing says is “strong market demand,” as the US air-framer announced ➤
U-Freight seeing MRO project activity despite Covid-19
Hong Kong-based freight forwarder and logistics company, U-Freight says project activity for airline repair companies has been holding up despite the pandemic dampener. U-Freight says the Covid-19 pandemic has caused a significant reduction in movements ➤
Volga-Dnepr caps turbulent period with first B777F delivery
Volga-Dnepr has taken delivery of its first B777 Freighter for AirBridgeCargo (ABC), as part of a leasing deal with Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE). The delivery caps a turbulent fleet modernisation process that has dramatically stretched ➤
Cathay Pacific’s first B777 ‘preighter’ takes flight
Cathay Pacific Cargo joins the ‘preighter’ club with the first of two B777 passenger aircraft converted to all-cargo through the removal of passenger seats. With the seats removed in the Economy and Premium Economy cabins, ➤
Aircraft Finance Germany signs for two B737-800BCFs
Driven by strong near and long-term express cargo demand, Aircraft Finance Germany (AFG) is purchasing two B737-800 Boeing Converted Freighters (BCF). Based on the Boeing Next-Generation B737NG, the B737-800BCF offers operators newer technology, lower fuel ➤
E-commerce demand sees DHL Express add four B767-300BCFs
DHL Express is adding four B767-300 Boeing Converted Freighters (BCF) as part of the global logistics company’s efforts to continue modernising and growing its fleet. The four aircraft will enter service in 2021. Driven by ➤
ST Engineering receives approval for aircraft drone inspections
ST Engineering receives regulatory approval for its in-house developed drone solution, DroScan to carry out General Visual Inspection (GVI) during aircraft maintenance at its maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities in Singapore. The approval was ➤
GECAS delivers B777-300ER to IAI for P2F conversion
GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) delivers a B777-300ER to Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for the prototype passenger-to-freighter conversion for the ‘Big Twin’ programme announced last October. Ferrying from Dubai, the aircraft arrived in Tel Aviv ➤
Airbus develops A330, A350 solution for pure cargo ops
Airbus is developing a modification for A330 and A350 family aircraft which will enable airlines to install freight pallets directly onto the cabin floor seat tracks, after removal of the economy-class seats. Airbus says the ➤
Air Canada removes B777 seats, doubles capacity
Air Canada is reconfiguring the cabins of three of its B777-300ER aircraft to provide additional cargo capacity for medical and other critical supplies. The first aircraft conversion – with a capacity of 89.6 tonnes – ➤
Boeing 3D prints reusable face shields for health workers
Boeing delivers the first set of reusable 3D-printed face shields to support healthcare professionals in the US working to stop the spread of COVID-19. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) accepted the ➤
IAI gains FAA and CAAI certification for B737-800 P2F
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) announces that the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel (CAAI) have certified IAI’s Aviation Group’s conversion of B737-800 aircraft from passenger to cargo configuration. The ➤
Airbus continues uplift of medical supplies from China to Europe
Airbus continues to purchase and supply millions of face masks from China, the large majority of which will be donated to governments of the Airbus home countries, namely France, Germany, Spain and the UK. An ➤
Airbus, Bolloré, WFS race medical gear to France & Spain
Airbus, Bolloré Logistics and WFS team up to race two million face masks to help protect Covid-19 health workers in France and Spain. Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) has teamed up with Airbus and Bolloré Logistics ➤
AEI adds Transport Canada approval to its B737-300SF STC roster
Aeronautical Engineers, Inc. (AEI) announces it has gained Transport Canada Civil Aviation approval for its STC (ST01827LA) for the 11-pallet position B737-400SF freighter conversion and the 10-pallet position B737-300SF freighter conversions. Foreseeing an uptick in ➤
All Nippon Airways orders another 20 B787 Dreamliners
All Nippon Airways (ANA) Holdings is expanding its fleet with a mixed order of 20 new B787-10 and 787-9 aircraft, expected to enter service between 2022 and 2025. The order includes a firm order of ➤
CEVA wins Airbus spares & components logistics contract
CEVA Logistics is beginning a five year contract to manage spare parts and components for Airbus at the aircraft manufacturer’s site in Hamburg, Germany. Effective February 2020, CEVA is responsible for consolidating spare parts and ➤
A330-800 receives EASA, FAA Type Certification
The A330-800 receives joint Type Certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), paving the way for entry into service this year. The A330-800, part of the new-generation A330neo ➤
Airbus unveils blended wing aircraft demonstrator
Airbus unveils its’ ‘blended wing body’ scale model technological demonstrator known as MAVERIC (Model Aircraft for Validation and Experimentation of Robust Innovative Controls). At 2.0 metres long and 3.2 metres wide, with a surface area ➤
ST Engineering looking into MRO JV with Vietnam Airlines
ST Engineering is exploring the setting up of an airframe MRO joint venture (JV) in Vietnam with Vietnam Airlines and other potential airline partners. The move is aimed at catering Vietnam Airlines (VNA) and the ➤
Aeronaves TSM orders two more AEI MD-83SFs
Aeronautical Engineers, Inc. (AEI) announces today the company has signed a contract to provide Saltillo, Mexico-based Aeronaves TSM with two additional AEI MD-83SF freighter conversions. The first MD-83 will commence modification in March 2020, followed ➤
Aeroflot returns to Japan’s KIX after 17 years
Aeroflot Russian Airlines is set to resume a non-stop service connecting Moscow Sheremetyevo (SVO) and Japan’s Osaka Kansai (KIX) from 2 June, after an absence of 17 years. The continuously growing Kansai International Airport will ➤
Ethiopian Airlines, Boeing partner on aid with latest delivery flight
Ethiopian Airlines and Boeing tap the delivery of the carrier’s latest aircraft to deliver much-needed aid supplies to organisations across Ethiopia. The airline took delivery of a new B787 Dreamliner in December and loaded the ➤
A350-1000 beats out B777X for Qantas’ ultra long haul
Qantas has given a nod to the A350-1000 after a detailed evaluation of both it and the B777X, saying Airbus’ offering will be the aircraft of choice, pending board approval. The decision comes as part ➤
EgyptAir Cargo in holding pattern after third A330-200P2F
EgyptAir Cargo receives its third A330-200 Passenger-to-Freighter (P2F) converted aircraft, with the carrier now paring down plans for eight freighters to just three. The carrier has previously said it planned on a fleet of eight ➤
Fiji Airways beefs up cargo capability with A350-900s
Fiji Airways has become the first airline from the South Pacific region to take delivery of the first of two A350-900s, partly based on greater cargo capability. The two aircraft will replace two leased A330s. ➤
Emirates places orders for 80 A350-900s, B787-9s
Emirates Airline signs a purchase agreement with Airbus for 50 A350-900s and Boeing for 30 B787-9 aircraft following “thorough” fleet review by the carrier. The A350-900 order, worth USD 16 billion at list prices, supercedes ➤
Airbus’ BelugaXL receives EASA Type Cert
The BelugaXL has received its Type Certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) paving the way for entry-into-service by early 2020. The aircraft is an integral part of Airbus’ industrial system and a key ➤