China's HCADICO orders up to fifty ARJ21 freighters

China’s YTO Cargo Airlines, Air Central take first ARJ21Fs

YTO Cargo Airlines (YG, Hangzhou) and Air Central (China) (GI, Zhengzhou) have each taken delivery of an ARJ21-700(F) passenger-to-cargo aircraft, the first two conversions of this type that COMAC has handed over, the Chinese manufacturer has announced.

A ceremony marking the handover of this “first batch” of ARJ21-700 freighters was held at the Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Company Limited (GAMECO) facility at Guangzhou Airport on October 30.

As prefigured earlier this year, YTO Airlines officially took delivery of B-3329 (msn 112), while Air Central (China) took delivery of B-3388 (msn 109). According to Flightradar24 ADS-B data, both aircraft have continued to make test flights in recent days.

Chinese media reports state Air Central plans to deploy its first ARJ21 freighter into routes connecting Zhengzhou, Shanghai Pudong, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen among other local metropoles while further expanding connectivity between China's Central Plains Economic Zone in Henan, and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. For its part, YTO will use its ARJ21s to serve Japan, South...

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China's Air Central set to add first ARJ21 freighter

Air Central (China) (GI, Zhengzhou) has begun proving flights for its first of fifty ARJ21-700(F)s, B-3388 (msn 109), after conversion at the GAMECO facility at Guangzhou earlier this year, Chinese media have reported.

The aircraft was manufactured as an ARJ21-700 in 2018 and subsequently leased to Chengdu Airlines (EU, Chengdu Shuangliu) for which it operated until September 2021, when it was withdrawn from use and ferried to Nanchang International for storage, and later to Guangzhou. It is the first Chinese manufactured aircraft to enter the Air Central fleet which presently includes five B737-300(F)s, one B737-400(F), five B737-800(BCF)s, and one B747-400FSCD.

According to ch-aviation fleets advanced data, B-3388 is just the second COMAC conversion. B-3329 (msn 112), also ex-Chengdu Airlines passenger stock, recently underwent conversion and is due to be delivered to YTO Cargo Airlines (YG, Hangzhou) this month.

Air Central (China) was rebranded from Longhao Airlines in 2019 and China Central Longhao Airlines earlier this year. The...