Earlier this week, Boeing announced that it would be developing a cargo version of its upcoming Boeing 777X series. This followed a similar announcement made by Airbus regarding the A350 last July. But how do the two concepts compare? Let’s take a look. Air France has already signed a Letter of Intent for the A350F. Image: AirbusTwo new widebody freighters Planemaking juggernauts Airbus and Boeing have a long-standing rivalry that has created an industry-dominating manufacturing duopoly. Where there are jetliners to be sold, we typically see both manufacturers enter the fray with correspondin ..read more

Global freight company FedEx is boosting its capacity on the busy US-UK trade corridor with the addition of four times a week flights between East Midlands Airport (EMA) and Indianapolis (IND). FedEx will start flying four times a week between East Midlands Airport and Indianapolis. Photo: FedExAnother boost for the UK’s key e-commerce hub airport FedEx will operate a Boeing 777F on the 3924 mile (6314 kilometer) route and add approximately 626,000 pounds (28.4 tonnes) of capacity per week to FedEx transatlantic network. The new flights will complement FedEx’s existing three transatlantic fli ..read more

Air Canada is set to start flying its converted Boeing 767 cargo aircraft to Frankfurt Airport later this year on a regular basis. Rather than disposing of its Boeing 767 aircraft, the Canadian carrier decided to put them to use with a second life as freighters following the huge demand that such types have seen since the onset of the pandemic. Air Canada’s cargo Boeing 767s will soon be a regular sight in Frankfurt. Photo: Air Canada Frankfurt Airport is one of the busiest in Europe when it comes to freight traffic. In addition to its regular passenger traffic, the airport welcomes freight i ..read more

The brawl between Airbus and Qatar Airways is paying big dividends for Boeing, with the US aircraft manufacturer announcing the launch of its 777-8 Freighter on Monday on the back of a big order from Qatar Airways. The Doha-based airline has signed for 34 freighters plus 16 purchase rights options. Qatar Airways will the launch customer for Boeing’s 777-8 freighter. Photo: Qatar Airways The order is worth more than $20 billion at current list prices (although the chances of Qatar paying list prices is negligible). The order is the largest freighter commitment in Boeing history by value. “We a ..read more

Lufthansa Cargo is preparing for the imminent arrival of its first Airbus A321 converted to a freighter. An update posted to the airline’s Facebook feed revealed that it would start operating commercial flights in a couple of weeks following a successful first test flight last week. Lufthansa Cargo is perparing to take delivery of its first converted A321. Photo: Lufthansa Cargo Since the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a surge in cargo demand around the world. While more freighters were initially needed as the belly space of passenger aircraft was unavailable, the amount of ..read more

In the last few moments, Qatar Airways has signed a deal for Boeing’s freighter version of its newest twinjet, the 777X. The order makes Qatar the launch customer for the new cargo jet, with a commitment for up to 50 airplanes. In a surprise twist, the deal also includes an additional order for up to 50 737 MAX. The first 777X order is going to Qatar Airways. Photo: BoeingDeal done A much-rumored deal has finally been done today between Qatar Airways and Boeing for its forthcoming freighter variant of the 777X. Qatar’s emir was visiting Washington for talks with the President, and took the op ..read more

Qatar Airways’ cargo division is launching a new online feature where customers can calculate the actual CO2 emissions associated with the transport of their goods. Depending on the results, they may choose different flight combinations to try and keep their carbon footprint to a minimum. Qatar Airways Cargo has added a CO2 emissions calculator function to its website. Photo: Getty ImagesCalculating carbon footprints Politicians may have fallen short at COP26. However, market forces and a burgeoning corporate conscience may do more for the planet and the environment than one might have initia ..read more

More than four years since first announcing the deal, the arrival date for FedEx’s first Cessna SkyCourier 408 aircraft is fast approaching. The global freight giant ordered 50 of the planes in November 2017 with options for 50 more. After delays and pushbacks, the first three SkyCouriers will arrive at FedEx by the end of May. FedEx is expecting three Cessna 408 SkyCouriers by May 2022. Photo: Textron Aviation FedEx signed on as the launch customer for the small plane assembled by Textron Aviation in Wichita, Kansas. With a flat floor cabin sized to handle up to three LD3 shipping containers ..read more

China Airlines announced today it would add four more Boeing 777 freighters to its already existing order. Coming off of a record-performing cargo year, the airline hopes to snag market share with its 777F fleet, even as it prepares to say goodbye to the majority of its 747s. China Airlines just announced it would be taking an additional four 777 freighters to add to the six it has already ordered. Photo: China AirlinesDeliveries will keep rolling to 2024 Taiwan’s China Airlines has experienced a record in cargo performance and is betting demand won’t slow down anytime soon. On Thursday, the ..read more

In recent months, the spread of the new Omicron variant of coronavirus has caused extensive disruption to air travel. It has also prompted changes to restrictions, some of which have come and gone rather suddenly. While this is frustrating for passengers, airfreight has also been affected, with Lufthansa Cargo’s Frankfurt operations being hit hard. Lufthansa Cargo’s fleet now consists entirely of Boeing 777Fs. Photo: Getty ImagesA total halt for transiting cargo traffic Lufthansa is one of many airlines around the world still coming to terms with the impacts of Omicron, and indeed COVID-19 in ..read more