ACE Belgium Freighters (Liège) is planning to commence cargo services out of Liège in Belgium in October 2018, using a single B747-400(F), Air Cargo News has reported.
The cargo start-up has earlier applied to the US Department of Transportation (DOT) for exemption authority and a foreign air carrier permit. It plans to operate on behalf of other airlines to points in the United States including New York JFK, Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson, Dallas/Fort Worth, and Chicago O'Hare, subject to the details of the wet-leasing contracts.
The carrier is also looking at other American destinations, as well as points in China and Africa. The former could prove difficult due to restrictions imposed by the Chinese authorities, but ACE hopes that as a Belgian carrier it would have a better access to Northern African airspace than its Israeli parent.
The maiden B747-400(F) for ACE will be secured from the Belgian unit's parent, Israel's CAL Cargo Air Lines (Tel Aviv Ben Gurion). According to Air Cargo News, the unit will be 4X-ICC (msn 24227), which will be registered in Belgium under ACE's Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) after the redelivery to Liège.
ACE is currently undergoing the application for its AOC. It plans to add a second B747-400 in 2019.
According to the ch-aviation fleets module, CAL currently operates three active B747-400(F) with a fourth unit of the type undergoing pre-delivery maintenance. The Israeli carrier already operates 9 weekly departures out of Liège, which is its main European hub.
