FREIGHTER AIRCRAFT\\\


Issue 5 2020 - Freight Business Journal


29 Last hurrah for the full freighter?


All-cargo aircraſt seemed to be on the way out, with most of the world’s major scheduled carriers eliminating or cutting back on their fl eets in the last few years. But then the corona crisis struck, and every available freighter was pressed into service as passenger bellyhold capacity evaporated almost overnight. But it remains to be seen whether the revival will be long-lasting.


PPE surge boosts charters – but will it last?


By mid-May, UK-based Air Charter Service had moved no less than 15,000 tonnes of supplies of PPE and other material during the Covid crisis, on over 400 chartered aircraſt and to 50 countries, says group cargo director, Dan Morgan- Evans.


Thankfully, perhaps, there were


signs that the rate was beginning to drop as countries sorted out their medical supply situation, although charters were continuing at a very high level by historic standards. What the future holds for


chartering of freighter aircraſt is unclear, but Morgan-Evans suggests that freighters will remain in strong demand even when the crisis has passed. “It could be a good time for freighters as airlines may have cut back on their loss- making passenger routes.” This will remove a lot of bellyhold freight capacity from the global market which could in turn lead to a resurgence in the full-freighter market, though how long a boom would last for is anyone’s guess, he adds. There are some indications


that airline managements are questioning whether the headlong rush out of freighter capacity was the right thing to do. Most scheduled carriers in the US and Europe no longer have freighters on their books, Luſt hansa and Air France KLM being the main exceptions. Middle East airlines including Emirates, Etihad and


Qatar Airways are now the main operators of freighters. Maybe governments might


encourage airlines to keep a few all-cargo aircraſt in their fl eets, possibly with tax incentives. Low fuel prices might also encourage carriers to keep older, less-effi cient types on their books for a while longer. That said, people in the


aviation industry oſt en do have short memories, so perhaps the situation may go back to what it was before. However, Morgan-Evans does


not envisage that ACS will have too much of a problem sourcing the


adds Morgan-Evans. ACS itself now has two offi ces in mainland China and another in Hong Kong, having also recently added another outlet in Singapore too. While it is very likely that


companies will rethink their supply chains to make them less dependent on China – indeed there were signs that this was already happening before the crisis as President Trump ramped up US sanctions against the country - ACS will also be in a very good position with its 27 offi ces on every inhabited continent. It says that its offi ces in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong have


“We have been booking aircraſt carrying protective equipment around the world since the fi rst week of February, initially fl ying into China and other parts of Asia but, due the spread of the virus, we have now fl own aid to all parts of the globe – more than 60 countries. “Whilst the cargoes have been


a variety of personal protective equipment, 20,000 tonnes would be equivalent to almost fi ve billion face masks. “We’ve used all types of aircraſt


including the huge Antonov AN- 225, AN-124s, Boeing B747s and Boeing B777s. Due to passenger aircraſt not fl ying on their usual routes at the moment, we have been able to source carriers willing to fi ll them up with cargo packed securely onto the seats and in the belly hold space.” Every one of ACS’ 27 offi ces has


been involved, but having offi ces in China, where almost all of the cargo is originating, has ensured smooth operations at the airports and helped ACS keep up to speed with the latest airport situations and requirements. Lancaster pointed out: “Being


freighters it needs. The Middle East airlines have plenty, and there is also the option of the Russian and Ukrainian operators of specialist heavyliſt types such as the An124. Much of current demand for freighters is coming out of China,


proved invaluable in helping to arrange hundreds of fl ights to carry more than 20,000 tonnes of PPE to over 60 diff erent countries in the battle against Coronavirus. Group commercial director, Justin Lancaster, commented:


able to deal with local agents, local shippers and local airports all in the local language and with local currency has meant our charters have run as smoothly as is possible through airports dealing with unprecedented pressure and demand.”


A good plane in a crisis


Aviation analyst IBA has


described the 747-400 freighter aircraſt as “the real hero of the Covid-19 pandemic”. With the world’s airlines taking a hatchet to their passenger schedules during the crisis, large cargo aircraſt kept supply lines open for vital deliveries of PPE, medical supplies and other goods around the world. The jumbo freighters have


though been aided by many other small, large and medium freighters including the 777F, 737s of various types, Airbus A321-200s, A330-200s and -300s, 757Fs and even a few turboprops like the ATR72-200. The world’s jet freighter fl eet – which currently numbers over 1,600 aircraſt – has been supplemented by passenger aircraſt fl ying in cargo mode, their bellyholds stuff ed with freight and oſt en with more lashed to the seats inside the cabin. In fact, in terms of numbers, these aircraſt probably outnumbered purpose- built freighters at one stage. Nevertheless, the bonanza


could prove to be short lived, said IBA’s experts, speaking at an online seminar in mid-May. Global economic growth could well be heading down over the next few months and the current


boom in cargo may be short- lived, said IBA president Phil Seymour. The Covid-19 crisis is certainly


doing some strange things to the global airfreight market and could have long-term eff ects on freighters too. Many of the world’s full-freighter aircraſt currently fl ying started life as passenger planes and were converted by specialist fi rms into cargo-only planes, usually several years into their careers. Experts like IBA refer to passenger aircraſt being offl oaded by carriers to freighter converters as ‘feedstock’ and the number of planes available can aff ect prices, leasing charges and, ultimately, airfreight rates. Trends to watch at the


moment are the huge numbers of 737-800s now being retired by American Airlines – although the process was disrupted by the technical problems experienced by its successor, the 737 Max – as well as widespread fi nancial problems now being experienced by many passenger airlines, for example Virgin Australia’s move into administration. If airlines are forced to discard or prematurely retire large numbers of passenger planes, this will have an eff ect


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