Latest news with #freighter
Yahoo
06-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Air Lease confirms canceled order for Airbus A350 freighter
Air Lease Corp. has canceled its order with Airbus for seven A350 next-generation freighter jets, the company's top executive said on Monday's earnings call with analysts. Airbus quietly revealed that Air Lease (NYSE: AL)had backed out of the order when its monthly orders and delivery report on July 9 indicated seven fewer orders for the new widebody cargo aircraft. Air Lease officials at the time refused to comment on the change. Chief Executive Officer John Plueger confirmed that Air Lease canceled the Airbus, saying development delays and the proliferation of tariffs contributed to the decision. 'We think the A350F is a terrific freighter, but since we made that order in December of 2021, we simply decided to stick with new passenger airliners versus venturing into new freighters. Contractually, the majority of our A350F aircraft were more than a year late. This cancellation frees up more than $1 billion in forward cap ex commitments, making that capital available for other alternatives,' he said. The trend of countries erecting tariff barriers on goods has created uncertainty about the level of trade growth and made some all-cargo operators a bit cautious about committing to new aircraft, added Plueger. Boeing recently downgraded its 20-year forecast for air cargo volumes to 3.7% compounded annual growth from 4.1% in its 2024 commercial market outlook. The slight downgrade partially reflects estimates for slower long-term economic growth. Los Angeles-based Air Lease, which manages a portfolio of 495 aircraft, was the original customer for the A350 freighter when it signed a non-binding letter of intent at the 2021 Dubai Air Show. Airbus has secured 66 orders for the A350F, which is scheduled for first delivery in late 2027. The manufacturer has pushed back the start date several times, including in February because of production delays at a major component supplier. Air France-KLM trimmed its order from eight to six A350Fs in March and converted the two production slots to A350-900 passenger aircraft. The A350F, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-97 engines and with 70% of the airframe made of advanced composite materials, is expected to be 20% more fuel efficient than the Boeing 777 and older Boeing 747-400 freighters, according to Airbus. The manufacturer said the lightweight materials will make the plane 50 tons lighter than the Boeing 777X freighter, which is also in late development. The aircraft is designed to carry up to 120 tons with a maximum range of 4,700 nautical miles. It will feature the industry's largest main deck cargo door to ease loading of shipping containers and out-of-gauge cargo. The large cargo door offers the option of using 20-foot shipping containers, something that is rarely, if ever, done with traditional side-loading aircraft, said Crawford Hamilton, head of freighter marketing at Airbus, in an interview last year with STAT Media Group. Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch. RELATED READING: Boeing raises outlook for widebody freighters as 777-8 production begins Airbus, Embraer unveil freighter orders at Paris Air Show Airbus postpones rollout of A350 freighter until late 2027 The post Air Lease confirms canceled order for Airbus A350 freighter appeared first on FreightWaves. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Boeing raises outlook for widebody freighters as 777-8 production begins
Boeing on Monday officially began production of the 777-8 freighter by drilling the first hole into a wing spar, while Airbus reached another milestone in building its new A350 freighter as the companies gear up competition for sales of large cargo jets. The developments come after Boeing (NYSE: BA) recently downgraded its 20-year forecast for air cargo volumes to 3.7% compounded annual growth from 4.1% in its 2024 commercial market outlook. Boeing also predicts total freighter aircraft entering the market by 2044 will be 2,900, up slightly from the 2,845 projection in last year's report. The lower traffic forecast reflects a higher annual growth in the 2024 base year of 11% and lower long-term economic estimates, Boeing spokesman Ted Land explained. The airfreight market experienced a strong recovery in 2024, driven by cross-border e-commerce demand, after an 18-month downturn. Boeing projects a 67% increase in the global freighter fleet by 2044, including 885 large widebody aircraft like the 777-8 and the A350 — up from 810 in the prior estimate. Total freighter production increased by 55 units despite a drop of nearly 100 narrowbody freighters over 20 years. Boeing attributes the change to growing demand for the payload and range of widebody cargo jets to support increased supply chain diversification and cross-border e-commerce at a time when airlines are accelerating retirement of older aircraft, new production has been slowed by post-pandemic supply chain backlogs and government certification for emerging 777 conversion companies has been delayed. Meanwhile, the market is oversupplied with narrowbody converted freighters. The analysis shows fewer factory-built freighters entering service than estimated last year, with 955 newbuilds versus 1,945 passenger-to-freighter conversions. 777-8 production begins The U.S. aerospace giant announced that manufacturing of the first 777-8 freighter began Monday at a plant in Everett, Washington, with a specialized robot drilling holes in the wing spar and filling them with fasteners. Spars are the backbone of a wing, serving as a critical support structure. Each wing has two spars — one in the front and one in the rear. The 777-8, now scheduled for first commercial delivery in 2028, will be the world's largest twin-engine freighter. Boeing says the plane will have 30% better fuel efficiency and emissions, with nearly identical payload and range capabilities, compared to the aging 747-400. The 777-8 also offers 25% better operating costs per ton and much quieter engines. Technical specifications include a maximum revenue payload of 123.7 U.S. tons, with main-deck capacity for 31 pallets, and a maximum range of more than 4,400 nautical miles. The 777-X program, which includes a passenger variant, was launched more than a decade ago, but has faced a series of technical and regulatory delays. The company began taking orders in January 2022 and now has 59 firm orders. Qatar Airways is the launch customer, with a firm order for 34 aircraft. Other 777-8 customers include Lufthansa, Silk Way West, Cargolux, ANA and China Airlines. To make the 108-foot long composite spars, Boeing machinists in the Wing Center guide machines that apply layers of carbon fiber tape onto large tooling to form the shape of the spar, which is then prepped and hardened through pressure and heat in an autoclave. The spars are then moved onsite for finishing work before they are moved to the main Everett factory. Airbus stays one step ahead Meanwhile, Airbus announced Wednesday that it has completed manufacturing the first horizontal stabilizer for the A350 freighter at its plants in Spain. The section will be shipped to the Airbus final assembly line in Toulouse in the coming weeks, where it will be joined with the fuselage of the first test aircraft. Airbus is manufacturing two A350 cargo jets for flight testing in 2026 and 2027. In late May, Airbus finished the first ever set of wings for the A350F. Airbus benefits from an efficiency standpoint by building the horizontal stabilizer and wings in the same production lines as the passenger version. The manufacturer has received 66 orders for the A350 freighter. It expects to begin first deliveries in late 2027 after development delays of its own. The A350's main-deck cargo door will also be manufactured in Spain. Made from composite materials, it has the largest door opening of any freighter to make loading and unloading faster and easier. Airbus says the A350 will offer at least a 20% reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions compared to large cargo aircraft currently in service. The widebody freighter has a payload of up to 122 tons and a range of up to 4,480 nautical miles. Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch. Write to Eric Kulisch at ekulisch@ RELATED STORIES: Saudi Arabia-based leasing company to buy 10 Airbus A350 freighters Airbus postpones rollout of A350 freighter until late 2027 China Airlines finalizes deal for 4 Boeing 777-8 cargo aircraft The post Boeing raises outlook for widebody freighters as 777-8 production begins appeared first on FreightWaves. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Reuters
22-07-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Boeing kicks off production of 777-8 freighter, the Seattle Times reports
July 22 (Reuters) - Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab has kicked off production of its newest freight carrier, the 777-8, the Seattle Times reported on Tuesday. The aircraft, which has a revenue payload of 112.3 tonnes, was first announced in 2022 at the White House, opens new tab. Boeing had then said that Qatar Airways would be the first customer, with an order for 34 jets and options for 16 more, and a total purchase price of $20 billion. While Boeing originally said they expect to deliver the first aircraft in 2027, the timeline has been delayed by a year, the report said. The 777-8 freighter has the lowest operating costs per tonne, most fuel efficiency and the lowest carbon dioxide emissions among the 777X family of aircraft, according to Boeing's website. Boeing did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for a comment.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
FedEx buys world's first ATR 72-600 passenger-to-freighter aircraft
FedEx will operate the world's first ATR 72-600 turboprop aircraft to undergo conversion from passenger to freighter configuration after signing a purchase agreement last week. Dublin-based ACIA Aero Leasing said it plans to deliver the converted freighter to FedEx (NYSE: FDX) by December, according to a news release. It's possible the plane could enter commercial service before the end of the year or in early 2026. Neither company has indicated where the cargo plane will be deployed, but there are several possibilities based on existing business relationships. The last time FedEx acquired a converted freighter — a Boeing 757 — was in 2016. Most of the 757 fleet consists of converted aircraft. FedEx last received a converted ATR freighter — an ATR 72-200 — was in 2011, company spokesman Jonathan Lyons said. FedEx owns 24 factory-built ATR 72-600 freighters, 19 older ATR 72-200s and 16 ATR 42s, which it supplies to partner airlines in North America and Europe to fly feeder routes on its behalf. Of the 24 ATR 72-600s, 13 are based in Europe: Spain-based Swiftair operates four of them for FedEx and nine are with ASL Airlines Ireland. The remaining aircraft are almost evenly split between Idaho-based Empire Airlines, Gulf & Caribbean Cargo and Mountain Air Cargo, according to the Flightradar24 database. Mountain Air Cargo and Empire Airlines operate the ATR 72-200s, along with Morningstar Air Express in Canada. ACIA launched the ATR 72-600 series conversion program in mid-2024 on a speculative basis. An ACIA subsidiary designed the aircraft modification kit, holds the certificate for commercial use and selected Empire Aerospace, the maintenance and repair sister of Empire Airlines, to perform the structural modifications. Empire Airlines connects smaller cities in the western half of the United States to FedEx hubs. The conversion process requires technicians to remove the existing upper and lower skin sections, door and door frame; completely rebuild the door frame and surrounding support for the outer surface layer; install a wide cargo door; reinforce the interior floor; and install fire protective liners in the cargo compartment. Empire says the process can take four to seven months, depending on customer specifications. ACIA said FedEx will use the ATR 72-600 converted freighter to replace an older aircraft. FedEx has six more ATR's scheduled for delivery by the end of next year under a pre-existing order. In March, FedEx placed a firm order with Toulouse, France-based ATR for 10 additional ATR 72-600 production freighters, with deliveries scheduled between 2027 and 2029. With a payload of about 10 tons, the ATR 72-600 can carry bulk cargo, five 88-by-108-foot pallets or up to seven smaller LD3 containers. Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch. RELATED READING: FedEx orders Boeing 777 and ATR cargo aircraft, delays MD-11 retirements FedEx converts parcel freighter to heavy cargo operation The post FedEx buys world's first ATR 72-600 passenger-to-freighter aircraft appeared first on FreightWaves.
Yahoo
14-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
FedEx buys world's first ATR 72-600 passenger-to-freighter aircraft
FedEx will operate the world's first ATR 72-600 turboprop aircraft to undergo conversion from passenger to freighter configuration after signing a purchase agreement last week. Dublin-based ACIA Aero Leasing said it plans to deliver the converted freighter to FedEx (NYSE: FDX) by December, according to a news release. It's possible the plane could enter commercial service before the end of the year or in early 2026. Neither company has indicated where the cargo plane will be deployed, but there are several possibilities based on existing business relationships. The last time FedEx acquired a converted freighter — a Boeing 757 — was in 2016. Most of the 757 fleet consists of converted aircraft. FedEx last received a converted ATR freighter — an ATR 72-200 — was in 2011, company spokesman Jonathan Lyons said. FedEx owns 24 factory-built ATR 72-600 freighters, 19 older ATR 72-200s and 16 ATR 42s, which it supplies to partner airlines in North America and Europe to fly feeder routes on its behalf. Of the 24 ATR 72-600s, 13 are based in Europe: Spain-based Swiftair operates four of them for FedEx and nine are with ASL Airlines Ireland. The remaining aircraft are almost evenly split between Idaho-based Empire Airlines, Gulf & Caribbean Cargo and Mountain Air Cargo, according to the Flightradar24 database. Mountain Air Cargo and Empire Airlines operate the ATR 72-200s, along with Morningstar Air Express in Canada. ACIA launched the ATR 72-600 series conversion program in mid-2024 on a speculative basis. An ACIA subsidiary designed the aircraft modification kit, holds the certificate for commercial use and selected Empire Aerospace, the maintenance and repair sister of Empire Airlines, to perform the structural modifications. Empire Airlines connects smaller cities in the western half of the United States to FedEx hubs. The conversion process requires technicians to remove the existing upper and lower skin sections, door and door frame; completely rebuild the door frame and surrounding support for the outer surface layer; install a wide cargo door; reinforce the interior floor; and install fire protective liners in the cargo compartment. Empire says the process can take four to seven months, depending on customer specifications. ACIA said FedEx will use the ATR 72-600 converted freighter to replace an older aircraft. FedEx has six more ATR's scheduled for delivery by the end of next year under a pre-existing order. In March, FedEx placed a firm order with Toulouse, France-based ATR for 10 additional ATR 72-600 production freighters, with deliveries scheduled between 2027 and 2029. With a payload of about 10 tons, the ATR 72-600 can carry bulk cargo, five 88-by-108-foot pallets or up to seven smaller LD3 containers. Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch. RELATED READING: FedEx orders Boeing 777 and ATR cargo aircraft, delays MD-11 retirements FedEx converts parcel freighter to heavy cargo operation The post FedEx buys world's first ATR 72-600 passenger-to-freighter aircraft appeared first on FreightWaves.
