Cargolux (CV, Luxembourg) is contemplating adding its first converted freighters in the future and is particularly interested in the B777-300(ER)(SF) type, Chief Executive Richard Forson said during a UK Aviation Club meeting.
"There’s a huge feedstock of B777-300(ER)s in the market that will also be looking for a home one day," Forson was quoted by Air Cargo News.
Thus far, Cargolux has focused on factory-built dedicated freighters. Its fleet consists of six B747-400ERFs, six B747-400FSCDs, and fourteen B747-8(F)s, the ch-aviation fleets module shows. While the cargo specialist is focused on extending the service life of its fleet of B747s, the impending closure of the B747 production line has forced it to look at other options for the future.
Forson acknowledged that eventually, Cargolux will be forced to add another type, increasing the complexity of its operations.
"Having a single type in your fleet is of huge advantage... Besides the An-124, which is a niche aircraft, there is not a comparable aircraft with the capabilities of the B747, especially in terms of the movement of outsized shipments," Forson said, lamenting the end of B747 production as "a significant loss of capability to the logistics market".
He added that it was uncertain if there would be a factory-built dedicated freighter type to suit the carrier's need in the future. Boeing has yet to announce a freighter version of the B777X and a limited order book casts doubt on whether there will be one in the near-term, Forson said. While Airbus has accumulated significantly more orders for the A350s, it has also not confirmed a freighter variant for the type.
Boeing currently produces the B777-200F. There is no production freighter variant of the B777-300(ER) yet, although Israel Aerospace Industries (Tel Aviv Ben Gurion) launched a conversion programme earlier this year with GECAS as a co-investor. The first delivery of the B777-300(ER)(SF) is targeted for 2022 to Kalitta Air (K4, Detroit Willow Run).
