Hong Kong-based cargo company Fly Meta is to lease four B777-300ERSFs from AerCap with the first two scheduled to arrive in 2H 2024 and the remaining pair in 3Q 2025.
The conversions of the unidentified aircraft, according to Cargo Facts, not to be manufactured before 2011, will take place at Israel Aerospace Industries Group, which teamed up with AerCap in 2019 to launch the B777-300ERSF conversion program. When the first conversion enters service later this year with Kalitta Air (K4, Detroit Willow Run), it will be the largest twin-engine freighter in the market. This latest deal means AerCap now has firm orders for twenty B777-300ERSFs with options for another ten.
"With 25% more capacity than today's smaller twin-engine long-haul freighters, the B777-300ERSF offers significant cost efficiencies, superior range, and outstanding operational commonality, and is, therefore, the ideal aircraft to support Fly Meta's growing widebody freighter fleet," AerCap's Rich Greener said in a statement.
Set up in early 2022 as a virtual cargo carrier, Fly Meta now controls one B747-400(BDSF) registered as TF-WFF (msn 26343) and operated on a charter arrangement with Air Atlanta Icelandic (CC, Reykjavik Keflavik). The company provides what it calls "packaged ACMI products to the market." The incoming B777 conversions are not yet placed with specific customers but Fly Meta says the planes will meet anticipated growth in cargo demand in the North Asia region, particularly in and out of mainland China. Fly Meta is also reportedly looking at acquiring an unspecified number of A330-300(P2F)s and additional 747-400Fs.
"We are confident that the situation will change for the better as China lifts its Covid restrictions, and that the cargo market will grow steadily over the coming years. We believe that the volume capabilities and greater cost efficiencies of the B777-300ERSF will give us a competitive advantage in the market," said the CEO of Fly Meta, Helen Chen.
