Five aircraft deal for Royal Air Maroc....

Aircraft leasing giant Air Lease Corporation has confirmed long-term lease contracts for five Boeing 737 aircraft with Royal Air Maroc which it values at $300 Million.

The deal includes four new Boeing 737 MAX 8s and one Boeing 737-800 and ALC says the aircraft are scheduled to be delivered to the Moroccan flag carrier in 2024. The aircraft come from ALC’s existing order book with Boeing and will augment already placed ALC-owned aircraft operated by RAM.

“ALC is pleased to announce this lease placement for five Boeing 737 aircraft with Royal Air Maroc,” said Steven F. Udvar-Házy, Executive Chairman of Air Lease Corporation. “We look forward to building our long-term relationship with RAM as they continue to modernize their fleet and grow their network, as well as maximize their competitive advantage with the most fuel-efficient aircraft in the market.”

"Through this agreement with esteemed partners as ALC, Royal Air Maroc will receive additional aircraft that will strengthen and modernize our operational fleet, enabling us to consistently enhance the quality of service for our customers, while also reducing our carbon footprint in line with our environmental commitment," said Abdelhamid Addou, Chief Executive Officer of Royal Air Maroc.

Royal Air Maroc is the Moroccan national carrier, as well as the country's largest airline. The airline has established a network reaching 80 destinations in 41 territories around the world, including frequent departures towards the biggest capitals in Europe, North America, South America, Africa, The Maghreb region, and the Middle East. Its main hub is located at Mohammed V airport in Casablanca.

Aero Design Labs hits fuel and carbon emission reduction targets with its drag reduction kit for the Boeing 737-800

Aero Design Labs (ADL) has this week reported the results of its in-service data validation aboard a Boeing 737-800 equipped with ADL's proprietary drag reduction kit.

"Over the last several months since the installation and certification of our drag reduction kit on a 737-800 aircraft, we have gathered and studied results from several hundred in-service revenue flights at multiple altitudes, speeds and operating weights to verify the cruise fuel benefit of our kits," said Jeff Martin, ADL President and CEO. "We are delighted to share that we have measured cruise fuel burn reductions of between 1.5 and to 2.0 percent. This is consistent with our computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculations with results verified by an independent third party."

"With solid fuel reduction data in hand, we can turn our efforts towards assisting airlines around the world," commented Chris Jones, ADL's Chief Commercial Officer. "Whether airlines are looking at saving on the cost side or the carbon reduction side, we have a very relevant product that delivers on both for airlines operating the 737NG family of aircraft. With delivery delays of new aircraft impacting plans for airlines to modernize their fleets, our kit can immediately deliver lower fuel costs and an alternative to carbon offsets. Our teams are actively working on kit designs for other aircraft which will help airlines achieve their cost and carbon reduction goals and build out our portfolio of product offerings."

Our manufacturing partner, NORDAM, will be ramping up production in accordance with customer demand in the second half of 2023 and the process of certifying our 737-800 drag reduction kit with other regional authorities, including in Europe and Latin America will follow accordingly."

Alaska Airlines salutes indigenous culture & language with new special salmon livery jet

Earlier this week, Alaska Airlines unveiled its very latest special livery jet that has been designed by talented Alaska native artist Crystal Kaakeeyáa Rose Demientieff Worl. Xáat Kwáani means “Salmon People” in the Alaskan Tlingit language and refers to the spiritual link between the people who interact with the beloved salmon and all of us who benefit from their stewardship of the environment.

Using Northwest Coast formline art, the salmon design by Worl is a one-of-a-kind work that honours salmon, culture, artistic expression, and language. Traditional formline art dates back thousands of years and is a two-dimensional design style of the Northwest Coast.

“Every time I looked at an Alaska plane, I couldn't help but visualize the salmon being in formline, or having some sort of design that represents identity. I can't help but look at things and see how to Indigenize them,” said Worl. “I have high hopes this project will encourage people to learn and embrace Indigenous culture and values.”

Marilyn Romano, regional vice president, of Alaska Airlines said:  "Crystal Worl has a love of monumental art — most recently murals gracing the sides of buildings in Juneau and Anchorage for locals and visitors to enjoy. And we had a large blank canvas — a 737-800. - During our first conversation, Crystal shared her desire to paint an Alaska Airlines plane — she has flown with us most of her life. Salmon as a focus was intentional and Crystal shares the relationship between salmon and Native people through storytelling and artistic design."

Salmon has a special meaning and significance in the state of Alaska, the Pacific Northwest and along the West Coast. Some travel as far as 600 miles each way, each uniquely adapted to its particular river system, ocean and watershed environment.

Xáat Kwáani paint facts:

• It took 117 gallons of paint to complete the livery.

• Four main colours were used to create the livery: Midnight Blue, Atlas Blue, White and Pink.

• From landing to take-off, it took just 12 days to paint.

• The specially painted livery will fly for a number of years through a paint system that applies a protective clear coat over the base coats. This protective coating will keep the livery looking fresh for many years.

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PT Rusky Aero Indonesia to lease two Boeing 737-800BCF - converted freighters

One of the leading aircraft leasing companies, AerCap Holdings has confirmed it has signed a long-term lease deal with newly launched cargo airline, PT Rusky Aero Indonesia for two Boeing 737-800BCF cargo planes. 

The first passenger-to-freighter conversion will be completed by Boeing Shanghai Aviation Services Co. Ltd. (BSAS), and the second by Taikoo (Shandong) Aircraft Engineering Co. Ltd. (STAECO). The carrier will operate under the name of Raindo United Services - Raindo.

Attending the announcement ceremony were the Indonesian Ambassador to Singapore, His Excellency Suryo Pratomo, Founder of Raindo, Benny Rustanto and Co-Founders of Raindo, Muhammad Surya, Bambang Sujatmiko, Captain Yudhi Fadjari, Dodi Abdul Kadir, Hans Nugroho, Febiantori and AerCap's Head of Leasing Asia Pacific, Emmanuel Herinckx. 

"We are very pleased to welcome Raindo as a new customer to AerCap and to lease them their very first aircraft," said Richard Greener, the Head of AerCap Cargo.  "We wish the team every success as they launch their air cargo operations and look forward to working with them as these aircraft deliver."

Benny Rustanto, Founder of Raindo United Services, said, "On behalf of the entire organization, I would like to express our gratitude to AerCap for their continuous support and commitment to our partnership. We believe this strategic step will allow us to benefit the community, especially the MSME (Micro, Small, Medium Enterprises) industry in Indonesia, through the seamless and sustainable connectivity logistic delivery experience of Raindo United Services."

In January 2023, AerCap Cargo marked the delivery of its 50th 737-800BCF. The aircraft was redelivered to GOL Linhas Aéreas. AerCap's 737-800BCF customers include West Atlantic Group, Amazon Air, GOL, JD.com, Kargo Xpress, ASL, Tianjin Cargo and Longhao Airlines.

CDB Aviation delivers two Boeing 737-800 to Italian carrier Neos

The leasing firm CDB Aviation, confirmed this week that it had delivered two Boeing 737-800 aircraft to a new customer, the Milan-based Neos. 

Neos, which operates services from Italy and Europe to the Americas, Asia, and Africa, plans to deploy the two aircraft, configured with 186 single class seats, on intra-European and intercontinental routes.

“We look forward to building a strong working partnership with our newest European customer in Italy, Neos,” commented Paul Boyle, CDB Aviation’s Head of Commercial, EMEA. “These two Boeing aircraft are well suited to serve the carrier’s short- and medium-haul network.”

“We are excited and proud to welcome the second aircraft leased from CDB Aviation into our fleet. These two aircraft are a perfect fit to support our strategic short-haul fleet renewal plan and commercial operations planned for 2023. We thank the CDB Aviation team who has shown a high level of commitment since the negotiation phase, and we hope that this is just the beginning of a long and fruitful collaboration,” commented Marco Brusa, Neos’ Fleet Planning Manager.

“With the accelerating pace of air passenger traffic’s recovery, Neos has the potential to seize on the nascent rebound in air travel and regional tourism,” underscored Peter Goodman, CDB Aviation’s Chief Commercial Officer. “We are very pleased to have collaborated with the Neos team on this transaction as part of the airline’s ongoing fleet upgrade initiative. We look forward to building on our relationship and supporting their ambitious growth trajectory in the future.”

AerCap celebrates the delivery of its 50th 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter

AerCap, the aircraft leasing giant has announced it has taken delivery of its 50th 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF). The aircraft conversion was completed at COOPESA, a leading MRO provider with expertise in aircraft modifications and conversions. The aircraft was redelivered to GOL Linhas Aéreas, who will operate the aircraft on behalf of a Latin-American e-commerce company, as part of the growth strategy and logistics solution of GOLLOG, Gol's logistics business unit.

In 2016, AerCap Cargo was the launch customer of the Boeing 737-800BCF and took delivery of its first aircraft in April 2018.

"We are delighted to celebrate this milestone delivery with our partners at Boeing and our longstanding customer, GOL. Since the program launched in 2016, we have seen unprecedented demand for express air cargo from e-commerce retail businesses," said Rich Greener, the Head of AerCap Cargo. "Today, the 737-800BCF is one of the most in-demand narrowbody freighter aircraft in the industry, thanks to its versatility and reliability, making it the perfect choice for express air cargo and e-commerce networks."

Titan Aircraft Investments and ASL Aviation Holdings confirm long-term dry lease deal for Boeing 737-800SF aircraft

Titan Aircraft Investments, the joint venture between Titan Aviation Holdings, Inc. and Bain Capital Credit, have this week confirmed the placement of a Boeing 737-800SF converted freighter on a long-term dry lease with ASL Aviation Holdings. Titan Aviation Holdings will manage the aircraft for ASL.

“We are honoured that ASL has placed its trust in Titan and we look forward to growing our new partnership in the future,” said Michael Steen, President and Chief Executive Officer of Titan Aviation Holdings and Chief Commercial Officer of Atlas Air Worldwide.

Fergus Wilson, ASL Aviation Holding’s Group Fleet and Leasing Director, said: “We are looking forward to this B737-800SF entering service with ASL in the coming weeks and to a successful business relationship with Titan. The aircraft’s arrival will mark another step forward in ASL’s fleet renewal program which has already seen our 737-800NG fleet outgrow our 737 classic fleet.”

Titan Aviation Holdings is a subsidiary of Atlas Air Worldwide and is a freighter-centric leasing company that provides dry leasing solutions to airlines worldwide. Titan’s fleet of cargo aircraft support customers, including international flag carriers, express operators, e-commerce providers, and regional and domestic carriers. Titan’s deep airfreight domain expertise and innovative asset management solutions help customers quickly ramp up their aviation operations while minimizing capital investment. Since its inception in 2009, Titan has grown to become the third largest freighter lessor globally by fleet value, owning and/or managing 38 aircraft on lease to customers worldwide with a book value of over $2.0 billion.

An older ASL 737                                                                                                                               Photo ASL

Leasing firm AerCap and planemaker Boeing are celebrating the 100th contracted 737-800BCF delivery

The 100th 737-800BCF was converted at Boeing Shanghai Aviation Services Co. Ltd., (BSAS), home to the first 737-800BCF conversion line. Photo AerCap

Aircraft leasing giant AerCap Holdings and Boeing have announced the milestone delivery of the 100th contracted 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF). 

The 100th 737-800BCF was converted at Boeing Shanghai Aviation Services Co. Ltd., (BSAS), home to the first 737-800BCF conversion line.

AerCap Cargo has leased the aircraft to GOL Linhas Aéreas, which will be operated for a Latin-American e-commerce company, as part of the growth strategy and logistics solution of GOLLOG, GOL's logistics business unit.

"We are delighted to be a part of this significant milestone with our partners at Boeing," said Rich Greener, Head of AerCap Cargo. "Since launching the 737-800BCF program with Boeing in 2016, the e-commerce market has grown at a phenomenal rate with increased demand from e-commerce retail businesses. Thanks to its versatility and reliability, the 737-800BCF is becoming the workhorse for express air cargo and e-commerce networks."

"We are honoured to celebrate this milestone with AerCap Cargo, a customer that has been an integral part of the 737-800BCF program's success since program launch," said Kate Schaefer, vice president of Boeing's Commercial Modifications, Engineering & Specialty Products business. "Across five continents, our customers' 737-800BCF utilization hours are far surpassing those of the previous generation fleet. It's a testament to the important role these freighters play in unlocking market opportunities for our air cargo operators and their customers."

AerCap Cargo has more than 25 years' experience in freighter leasing, including Passenger-to-Freighter (P2F) conversions, with more than 100 successful conversions. AerCap Cargo's 737-800BCF customers include West Atlantic Group, Amazon Air, GOL, JD.com, Kargo Xpress, ASL and Longhao Airlines.

Another Boeing 737-800SF freighter conversion for Bulgaria-based CargoAir

Aeronautical Engineers has confirmed that Bulgaria-based CargoAir has ordered its 4th AEI B737-800SF freighter conversion to continue the airline's fleet renewal programme.  

“The AEI B737-800SFs are part of our overall fleet revitalization program and will be used to incrementally replace our existing fleet of B737-300SF/-400SF freighters,” remarked CargoAir Purchase and Fleet Acquisitions Director, Angel Petrov. “AEI has the best B737-800SF conversion on the market with features and reliability that support real-life conditions. Additionally, AEI provides flexible slots which substantially assists our overall fleet planning requirements.”

The aircraft - MSN 30883 is scheduled to commence modification at the end of October 2022 with all conversion-related touch labour being performed by the authorized AEI Conversion Center, Commercial Jet in Miami, Florida.  The AEI converted B737-800SF freighter offers a main deck payload of up to 52,700 lbs. (23,904 kg) and incorporates eleven full height 88” x 125” container positions, plus an additional position for an AEP/AEH. The conversion also incorporates new floor beams aft of the wing box, a large 86” x 137” Main Cargo Door with a single vent door system.

CargoAir is based in Sofia, Bulgaria and was founded in 1997 with a fleet of six AN-12 aircraft. The carrier now operates a fleet of three B737-300, eight B737-400, and three B737-800 freighters. It conducts flights for DHL and UPS and has contracted its freighter fleet to support their specific network requirements. The company is also dedicated to ad hoc cargo charter flights worldwide, providing customer-oriented solutions for cargo brokers, freighter forwarders and logistics companies requiring the transportation of dangerous goods and special cargo.

(AEI) is the global leader in the aircraft passenger-to-freighter conversion business and is the oldest conversion company in existence today. Since the company’s founding in 1958, AEI has developed over 130 Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs) and has modified over 550 aircraft with the STCs.

Corendon Airlines Europe leases a Boeing 737-800 from CDB Aviation

Leasing giant CDB Aviation confirmed today the delivery of one Boeing 737-800 to Corendon Airlines Europe, the charter subsidiary of Corendon Airlines, based in Malta.

“We are very pleased that the Corendon team have put their faith in CDB Aviation to secure the lease of this 737-800 aircraft, which will provide additional capacity throughout Corendon’s network in anticipation of the ramp-up in passenger travel during this summer season,” stated Paul Boyle, CDB Aviation’s Head of Europe, the Middle East & Africa.

Ridvan Helvaci, Technical & Lease Affairs Director of Corendon Airlines, said: “This was the very first aircraft lease cooperation made between Corendon Airlines and CDB Aviation. Working with them for the whole transaction and the delivery has been a pleasure for us and we are looking forward to enhancing our cooperation in the future.”

“Our collaboration with Corendon is of particular significance as Europe’s leisure demand is rapidly accelerating its post-pandemic recovery," underscored Peter Goodman, CDB Aviation’s Chief Commercial Officer. “We look forward to supporting the Corendon team’s efforts to expand their route network within Europe, connecting the major European cities with the best holiday destinations.”

AerCap signs lease deal for 6 Boeing 737 - 800 converted cargo planes for GOL

AerCap Holdings confirmed today a lease deal has been arranged for six 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter aircraft to be delivered to GOL in 2022 and 23 on a long-term lease basis.

The six 737-800BCF, passenger-to-freighter aircraft, will be operated for a Latin-American e-commerce company, as part of the growth strategy and logistics solution of GOLLOG, GOL´s Logistics Business Unit, and will be based in Brazil, flying to destinations across South America.  

Peter Anderson, Chief Commercial Officer of AerCap, said, "We are very pleased to announce our agreement to lease six 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighters to our longstanding customer GOL.  These 737-800BCF's will be a versatile addition to GOL's fleet, allowing them to respond to the increased demand from e-commerce retail businesses in South America.  We are delighted to expand our relationship with GOL and wish them every success with these aircraft in the years to come."

AerCap Cargo has more than 25 years' experience in freighter leasing, including Passenger-to-Freighter (P2F) conversions, with more than 100 successful conversions.

First Boeing 737-800 Converted Freighter lands in Calgary in WestJet Cargo colours.....

Welcome Home........The very first Boeing Converted Freighter 737-800BCF in WestJet colours arrived at its home base of Calgary today.  The jet is on lease from BBAM Limited Partnership (BBAM) and will primarily be used for express cargo and e-commerce freight.   

WestJet Cargo is the first operator in Canada to operate the B737-800BCF and this example is the first of four the airline has on order.

Alexis von Hoensbroech, WestJet CEO said:  "The delivery of our first freighter to our home base in Calgary, Alberta gives us great confidence in the growth and development of our commercial cargo service and I am eager to see our new dedicated commercial cargo service take flight as we begin providing competitive services to cargo customers across Canada," 

Prior to its delivery to WestJet Cargo in Calgary, the first aircraft (msn 34686) completed conversion by Boeing at an approved MRO facility in Guangzhou, China. WestJet Cargo plans to have all four BCFs in service by the end of 2022. 

"BBAM is excited to partner with our long-time customer WestJet as they launch WestJet Cargo. This is our first North American placement of the Boeing 737-800BCF, an important milestone for BBAM's industry-leading freighter program," said Steve Zissis, President and CEO of BBAM.

Leveraging its quick to load and fly narrow-body aircraft, the 737-800 equipped with CFM56-7B engines enables WestJet Cargo to offer greater fuel efficiency, flexibility and frequency for its customers. WestJet Cargo routes and scheduled services will accommodate the diverse needs of cargo customers using WestJet's existing network and highly skilled 737 pilots.

"WestJet Cargo's mission is to provide our customers with the reliable on-time performance and competitive cost advantage synonymous with the WestJet brand and I look forward to our continued partnership with BBAM, as we witness our dedicated freighters provide our customers increased reliability, flexibility and capacity to transport their diverse shipments to their chosen destination," continued von Hoensbroech.

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ASL orders 10 Boeing 737-800 converted freighters........

ASL Aviation Holdings has confirmed an order for 10  Boeing 737-800 Converted Freighters with an option for 10 more planes. Dave Andrew, Chief Executive, ASL Aviation Holdings said:  "This new order is an important element of our fleet renewal programme, and we are delighted to expand our partnership with Boeing on the 737-800BCF.  

Andrew believes these planes will offer better reliability and performance with lower fuel burn to help it meet its drive to environmental sustainability. 

This is ASL's second order for the 737-800BCF and including options, will bring the organization's total 737-800BCF orders and commitments with Boeing to 40 aircraft. The aircraft will be converted by Boeing at approved MRO sites including STAECO in Jinan, China and at Boeing's London Gatwick MRO facility in the United Kingdom.

"We are honoured to play a crucial role in the fleet renewal underway across ASL Aviation Holdings' operation," said Jens Steinhagen, director of Boeing Converted Freighters. "Boeing Converted Freighters support progress towards sustainability goals by providing operators like those under the ASL Group umbrella an economical way to replace less efficient, older-generation freighters."

The 737-800BCF carries more payload – up to 23.9 tonnes (52,800 lbs.) – and flies farther – 2,025 nautical miles (3,750 km) compared to 737 Classic freighters.

China Eastern grounds all Boeing 737-800s following deadly crash...............

The airline China Eastern has confirmed it is grounding all of its Boeing 737-800 jets following the crash of one of its aircraft today, killing all 132 people on board.

The Boeing 737-800, was operating a flight between Kunming Changshui International Airport and Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport on Monday morning when it rapidly lost altitude and crashed into the side of a mountain.  The crash then set fire to the bamboo forest which has hampered site investigations.

A Boeing spokesperson said: "We are aware of the initial media reports and are working to gather more information." The firm more recently said "Our thoughts are with the passengers and crew of China Eastern Airlines Flight MU 5735. We are working with our airline customer and are ready to support them."  

According to initial reports, flight MU5735 had been flying at 523mph / 455 knots at approximately 30,000 at around 14:19 when it suddenly dropped in altitude at an alarmingly fast rate before data transmitted by the plane ended just over two minutes later. 

We are following reports that China Eastern Airlines flight #MU5735 has crashed.

Last ADS-B data from the aircraft was received at 06:22 UTC and was indicating a vertical speed of -31.000 feet per minute.https://t.co/Lwo8klGf8g pic.twitter.com/wJXpHuDswx

— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) March 21, 2022

Shares in Boeing fell 4.5% after the news broke that another of its 737 jets had crashed, some of its suppliers also saw the value of their shares falling.  France-listed Safran fell 3%,  Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc, Hexcel Corp and Triumph Group were all down between 1% and 4%.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said he was 'shocked' by the crash and ordered an “all-out effort” for the rescue operation, he also stated that a full investigation into the crash and to ensure complete civil aviation safety would report as soon as possible. 

Unconfirmed and unverified videos have appeared on social media indicating the aircraft may have dropped vertically with parts of the wings breaking off and falling far from the crash site.  

 

China Eastern Airlines issued the following statement......

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CDB Aviation Delivers First of Two 737-800 Aircraft to New North American Customer Sun Country

CDB Aviation, a wholly-owned Irish subsidiary of China Development Bank Financial Leasing Co., Limited, delivered the first of two Boeing 737-800 aircraft to Sun Country, a Minnesota-based, hybrid low-cost airline.

“We’re delighted to have partnered with our colleagues at Sun Country on executing this transaction for two Boeing aircraft from our portfolio, which will facilitate the further build-out of the carrier’s highly-adaptable network structure,” said Luís da Silva, CDB Aviation’s Head of Commercial, Americas.

The aircraft are configured with 183 seats in a single economy-class layout and will be operated on seasonal, point-to-point routes. The second aircraft’s delivery is anticipated in early 2022.

“We are excited to commence a new and valued partnership with CDB Aviation. These two aircraft are key to meeting our near-term growth plans and reflect Sun Country's exceptional ability to grow its fleet with strategic partners throughout the world,” said Thomas Frey, Sun Country’s Director of Fleet and Fuel.

Peter Goodman, CDB Aviation’s Chief Marketing Officer, commented: “Sun Country’s unique model and distinct network proved exceptionally advantageous in navigating the pandemic’s headwinds and better positioning the carrier for air travel’s recovery. Our commercial team worked swiftly to provide the airline, which operates in a key focus market for our platform, with immediate access to additional aircraft capacity, supporting their network expansion.”

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GA Telesis Freighters announce six additional firm orders for Boeing 737-800SF cargo conversions with Aeronautical Engineers

GA Telesis, announces that its freighter conversion strategy continues to grow with six additional firm orders for B737-800SF cargo conversions with Aeronautical Engineers, Inc. This further commitment was executed by GAT’s LIFT (Leasing, Investments, Finance & Trading) Group. This represents the third incremental order by LIFT, bringing the total deliveries and conversion slots for the B737-800SF to twelve.

The conversions under the additional order will commence in early 2022 and continue through early 2023. All work will be performed by authorized AEI Conversion Centers in the US and abroad. In addition, LIFT will continue to evaluate additional B737SF slots and other freighter aircraft models to support the global air cargo industry's expanding main deck freighter needs.

“We have a very aggressive and deliberate strategy that has continued to grow since launching our first conversion over a year ago, and we will continue to refine it to include other aircraft platforms in support of our cargo airline customers worldwide,” commented Marc Cho, President of the LIFT Group.

“The Asset Transaction Group (ATG) continues to grow our narrow-body freighter portfolio, and the GA Telesis Ecosystem™ continues to deliver value across the platform that differentiates us from other freight lessors,” said David Ellis, Sr. Vice President, ATG. "Our ability to provide spares support, engine, APU, leasing, and contributions from our various MROs add significant value to our customers, beyond what many of our competitors can offer," added Ellis.

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Seraph Aviation Group places one B737-800 with Joy Air in China

Seraph Aviation Group, the specialized aviation asset manager headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is delighted to announce that it has successfully placed one B737-800 with Joy Air in the People's Republic of China.

David Butler, Chief Executive, Seraph Aviation Group, said: "We are delighted to have secured Joy Air as a new airline customer and are proud of our achievement to deliver an aircraft into China during the COVID pandemic. We look forward to commencing a long and positive relationship with Joy Air and we wish the airline well as it introduces the aircraft into service this month."

Seraph Aviation Group is a dedicated Aviation Asset Manager and Financial Advisor. The Group focuses on originating and managing aircraft investments for third parties, with expertise in managing a wide range of aviation assets throughout their life cycle and arranging aviation-related financings. Seraph Aviation Group is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland with offices in Stamford, CT, USA, and London, England.

Joy Air is a Xi'an state-owned airline that was launched by China Aviation Industry Group in 2008 and has been controlled by Xi`an Aerospace Investment Co., Ltd. since November 2018. Joy Air's main base is Xi'an, the capital city of the central province of Shaanxi, famous for its international tourist destination of the Terracotta Warriors archaeological site.

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GECAS’ 737-800 Converted Freighter Fleet Climbing to over 40

• ATRAN add two additional 738BCF

• GECAS delivering an average of over one 737-800NG P2F per month

• GECAS has converted more than 110 aircraft and holds more than 100 orders and options

GECAS has contracted to add six 737-800BCFs to its in-service fleet, bringing the GECAS fleet of passenger-to-freighter (P2F) converted 737-800NG narrowbody freighters in operation to more than 40, an average of one aircraft added per month since the world’s first 737-800NG Converted Freighter was delivered in April 2018. Two of the aircraft will be added to ATRAN’s fleet and the remaining four with undisclosed operators.

A repeat customer, Volga-Dnepr Group’s ATRAN LLC recently took delivery of two 738BCF from GECAS and will add two more of the P2F narrowbodies to their operations in September. “In today’s highly competitive landscape marked by capacity constraints, it is important to keep pace with the demand and guarantee stable, high-quality services for our customers. These reliable converted freighters will support our ongoing fleet development strategy, enable smooth phase-out of older freighters and ramp up our delivery options,” said Vitaliy Andreev, General Director of ATRAN Airlines.

Bluebird Nordic plans to more than treble its fleet with 25 Boeing 737-800F aircraft.

The Icelandic cargo airline Bluebird Nordic is undertaking a massive unprecedented and to say the least, highly ambitious expansion plan by announcing the plan to add 25 x Boeing 737-800s to its fleet within the next three years.

The airline currently has a small fleet of 8 Boeing 737 aircraft, comprised of one 300 and seven 400 full freighter models. The 25 new 737-800 aircraft will be a welcome addition to the existing fleet and will offer enormously increased capacity, these 737-800s can carry an additional 4 tonnes more than the current 400s, while also offering increased cargo volume with 1 extra pallet position on the aircraft's main deck. Additionally, the aircraft's advanced fuel-burn ratio and better technical reliability will position the new aircraft as a more sustainable and environmentally sensitive option for the company's cargo customers.

Siggi Agustsson, Bluebird Nordic's CEO and Managing Director, cited the growing demand for cargo transport during the present pandemic as one of the main reasons behind this exciting new development in the company's growth plan. This exciting and game-changing move – as part of the airline's existing expansion plan – will place the company ahead of the curve as a leading, highly competitive cargo operator across the entire freight transport sector. 

In the interim period while Bluebird Nordic await aircraft conversion and delivery, and as evidence of the existing synergy between companies, the aircraft will be utilised by Avion Express – the leading narrow-body ACMI charter operator and an integral part of the Avia Solutions Group of companies – for passenger flights during the busy summer season, offering extra capacity and highly competitive prices.

ATRAN Airlines to Lease Two Additional 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighters from GECAS

 

ATRAN Airlines has taken delivery of a 737-800 Boeing Converted freighter (BCF) from GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) and a second is slated to deliver later this month to the scheduled express cargo carrier, which is part of the Russia-based Volga-Dnepr Group.

These aircraft join the two 737-800BCF freighters ATRAN and GECAS announced in October of 2018 and which entered service in March and October of 2019, adding further capacity to ATRAN’s short- and mid-range routes linking Europe, China, Russia and the CIS.

“GECAS is delighted Volga-Dnepr have found the 737-800BCFs well suited to grow their operations and are thrilled to provide these additional freighters to ATRAN,” stated Richard Greener, GECAS’ SVP & Manager Cargo Aircraft Group.

Having delivered 34 of the converted 737-800BCF and with more than 60 on order, GECAS is the largest customer of the type for Boeing’s conversion program. Equipped with CFM56-7B engines, the narrow-body 737-800 freighter carries up to 23.5 tonnes of cargo.