US legacy carriers oppose Eastern's China aspirations

US's Eastern Airlines inducts first B777-200(ER)

Following a lengthy certification process, Eastern Airlines (2D, Miami International) has now completed the induction of its first passenger-configured B777-200(ER).

N771KW (msn 28530) was acquired by the airline during the peak of COVID-related aircraft groundings in May 2020. However, the 20.9-year-old jet subsequently remained in storage at Victorville and Kansas City International through November 2022, when it began proving flights.

The airline currently operates an all-B767 fleet comprising one B767-200, three B767-200(ER)s, and seven B767-300(ER)s which are deployed mainly on charter services after Eastern Airlines curtailed its once more extensive point-to-point Latin American network to a single return route - Miami International to Santo Domingo Las Américas. The airline is also trying to secure rights to fly to China.

Chief Executive Steve Harfst told ch-aviation that the aircraft would be used on a mix of charter, ACMI, and scheduled operations on the existing route.

Eastern plans to pivot to a B777-dominated fleet. In 2021, it announced plans to acquire a total of thirty-five B777s,...

Editorial Comment: The article updates with Eastern Airlines' comments. - 12.01.2023 - 07:40 UTC

Emirates to convert more of its own B777-300(ER)s

Emirates (EK, Dubai International) has signed a commitment to convert six of its own B777-300(ER)s into freighters, increasing its total order for converted B777-300(ER)s to ten units.

The airline did not clarify whether the additional six units would also be converted by Israel Aerospace Industries under its B777-300(ER)(SF) programme, like the first four announced in November 2021. The Israeli MRO firm has yet to obtain a supplemental type certificate for its conversion of the widebody twinjet. Mammoth Freighters and Eastern Airlines are independently planning to certify their own B777 conversion variants.

Emirates told Cargo Facts it had yet to identify which of its B777-300(ER)s it will convert. The ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows that the carrier operates 124 B777-300(ER)s, of which it owns 64.

The airline's current cargo fleet comprises eleven B777-200Fs with one more due for delivery from Boeing (BOE, Washington National) this month. It plans to return two of the B777-200Fs leased from DAE Capital as the converted -300(ER)s start delivering to...

US's Eastern Airlines to debut B777 ops in 2H22

US's Eastern Airlines secures first cargo deal, misses ETOPS

Eastern Airlines (2D, Miami International) has announced the signing of an agreement with Flexport to operate its future B777 Express Freighter aircraft out of Chicago O'Hare to Hong Kong International and Ho Chi Minh City.

The transpacific flights are due to be run 2x weekly. Eastern Airlines did not disclose whether it would use a B777-200 or a B777-300 in its in-house conversion variant. It also did not disclose a specific timeline, saying only that operations would become once the conversion is approved by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

"There is an urgent demand to develop new solutions that alleviate the constricted global cargo market. Our partnership with Flexport, combining the large volume of our B777 Express Freighter with Flexport's leading-edge eCommerce technology and logistics platform, will fill that unmet need and add new capacity to the global cargo market," President and Chief Executive Steve Harfst said.

However, the plans have hit an unrelated snag after the airline was denied its ETOPS certificate, necessary to operate transpacific...