Amazon to launch Leipzig/Halle base

Ireland's ASL Aviation Holdings sets up UK carrier

FedEx takes world's first ATR72-600 freighter

FedEx Express (FX, Memphis Int'l) took delivery of the world's first ATR72-600F, Avions de Transport Régional's only purpose-built dedicated freighter, on December 15, 2020.

EI-GUL (msn 1653) was ferried from Toulouse Blagnac to Shannon on December 17, 2020. The aircraft will be operated on behalf of FedEx by ASL Airlines Ireland (ABR, Dublin Int'l), which has been a FedEx regional feeder in Europe since 2000. It is expected to commence revenue operations in early 2021.

FedEx has a further twenty-nine ATR72-600Fs on firm order from the manufacturer. It also holds a further twenty options.

According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, ASL Airlines Ireland also operates fourteen other ATR turboprops on behalf of FedEx Express - three ATR42-300(F)s and eleven ATR72-500(F)s. Sister carriers ASL Airlines Belgium and ASL Airlines France operate a thirty-seven Boeing dedicated freighters, including those of the B737, B747, and B757 families.

FedEx's European turboprop feeder network also includes one ATR42-300(F) and one ATR72-500(F) operated by Spain's...

FedEx Express wet-leases B777 freighter for peak season ops

FedEx Express (FX, Memphis Int'l) has wet-leased a B777-200F from Etihad Airways (EY, Abu Dhabi Int'l) to bolster capacity in time for the peak pre-holiday shipping period, Cargo Facts has reported.

A6-DDA (msn 39682) was ferried from Abu Dhabi Int'l, via Dubai Int'l and Paris CDG, to Memphis Int'l on November 30, 2020, and started operating on behalf of FedEx the day after. Flightradar24 ADS-B data indicates that the Boeing freighter is used daily on Memphis-London Stansted services.

Neither of the two airlines responded to ch-aviation's request for comment regarding the duration of the contract.

The 9.5-year dedicated freighter, which is owned by Etihad Airways, was retired by the Emirati flag carrier on August 20, 2020, and has since been stored at Abu Dhabi airport, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows. The other five B777-200Fs operated by Etihad Airways are all active.

Other third-party carriers operating on behalf of FedEx, mostly under long-term commitments, include Airwork Flight Operations, ASL Airlines Belgium, ASL...

ASL Airlines France adds maiden B737-800(BCF)

ASL Airlines France (5O, Paris CDG) took delivery of its first B737-800(BCF) in the form of F-HIQB (msn 33641) on November 28, 2020.

The ex-Pegasus Airlines and ex-Ryanair Boeing narrowbody was ferried after conversion at Taikoo (Shandong) Aircraft Engineering Co. Ltd.'s Jinan facility to Paris CDG via Ekaterinburg and Vilnius. The 13.7-year-old aircraft is owned by ASL Airlines France's parent ASL Aviation Holdings. It has yet to be deployed into revenue service.

It will join ASL Airlines France's cargo fleet of one B737-300(F), two B737-300(QC)s, and seven B737-400(F)s. According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, the airline also operates six B737-700s and two B737-800s in passenger configurations.

Sister carriers ASL Airlines Ireland (ABR, Dublin Int'l) and ASL Airlines Belgium (3V, Liège) operate two B737-800(BCF)s each, although the aircraft are not owned by ASL Aviation Holdings but rather dry-leased from GECAS.