747-400

Cargolux to replace aging 747 freighters with next-gen Boeing 777-8

A white Cargolux jumbo jet with red tail prepares to take off. View from the rear.

Luxembourg-based Cargolux has tentatively selected Boeing’s next-generation 777-8 freighter over the new Airbus A350 to replace its large fleet of 747-400 jumbo cargo jets, the companies announced Thursday at the Farnborough International Airshow near London.

Boeing also said it landed an order from Saltchuk Aviation, the parent company of Aloha Air Cargo, Northern Air Cargo and StratAir, to convert three more used 767-300 passenger jets into main-deck freighters.

Cargolux is the largest operator...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/cargolux-to-replace-aging-747-400-freighters-with-next-gen-boeing-777-8

Atlas Air inks 747 freighter contract with FedEx

Atlas Air jumbo jets with blue and gold lettering sit on tarmac at dawn.

Atlas Air said Wednesday it is operating two Boeing 747-400 freighters for FedEx Express (NYSE: FDX) full time under a new long-term contract. The deal is in addition to the all-cargo carrier’s existing multiyear peak-season contract that provides FedEx with a minimum of five aircraft during the fourth quarter.

FedEx (NYSE: FDX) is adding supplemental airlift to keep up with growing international e-commerce volumes in its express network. During its fiscal first quarter ended Aug. 31, FedEx’s...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/atlas-air-inks-747-freighter-contract-with-fedex

National Airlines expands 747 freighter fleet by 150%

Two white 747 jumbo jets with blue lettering parked at airport, with stairs to front door.

National Airlines, a small all-cargo operator headquartered in Florida, said Friday it will begin operating three more Boeing 747-400 freighters pulled from desert storage to meet growing demand by businesses for air transportation. 

Shippers will welcome any new options for moving their goods in today’s capacity-constrained environment, which has caused rates to triple from normal in some trade lanes. 

National acquired the three jumbo jets two years ago but parked them at an Arizona airpark...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/national-airlines-expands-747-freighter-fleet-by-150

Will shippers miss British Airways’ 747?

British Airways 747-400 jumbo jets lined up at the airport gate. British Airways is retiring the planes, which were not the most efficient from a fuel or cargo perspective.

British Airways’s decision to immediately chop all 31 Boeing 747-400 jumbo jets from its fleet represents a sizable loss of future cargo capacity until the global economy returns to normal. But their eventual replacement with newer, more fuel efficient, planes better suited for cargo will likely benefit airlines and shippers over time.

Passenger airlines, struggling to make ends meet, are accelerating the retirement of large aircraft already targeted for replacement because of higher operating...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/will-shippers-miss-british-airways-747