The Moscow-headquartered all-cargo carrier has added two Boeing 747-8Fs to its fleet, bringing it up to 15 big jumbo freighters. This increase in main deck capacity does not seem to be the end of the line.
AirBridgeCargo is bucking the global trend. While other carriers tend to downscale their freighter fleets, ABC keeps on adding main deck capacity to the market. By doing so, the airline
acts in accord with an announcement delivered to CargoForwarder Global by its Executive President Denis Ilin last May at the Munich-held Transport Logistics fair. In the exclusive interview, the
manager said that his company intends to operate a uniform freighter fleet of 20 Boeing 747-8Fs by 2025 latest.
Serving transpacific routes
So that still leaves 10 units to go until then. However, considering the constantly increasing volumes transported by the line-haul daughter of Russia’s Volga-Dnepr Group, it would be surprising
if the freight airline will fall short of its chief’s prediction.
According to ABC, the two additional 747-8Fs will be operated on transpacific routes linking the Far East and North America. These services have already started, right on time with the increasing
transport demand triggered by the high season.
ABC gets 100th Boeing 747-8
The delivery of the aircraft is a first result of the MoU inked by manufacturer Boeing and ABC last June during the air show at Paris Le Bourget Airport. In total, ABC opted to acquire as many as
20 further Boeing 747-8Fs. Much to the delight of Marty Bentrott, VP Sales at Boeing Commercial Airlines for Middle East, Russia and Central Asia. The manager stated: “We appreciate ABC’s
confidence in our products and look forward to our successful cooperation in the future.” What intrigued him most was the fact that one of the two new aircraft now handed over to ABC, is the
100th 747-8 produced by Boeing.
Proven partnership
ABC’s Chief Denis Ilin responded to this, saying that by adding more new generation 747-8Fs to the fleet will allow his airline to secure further growth of their business. “This is a celebration
of successful partnership with Boeing, which will enable us to continue providing our customers with the exceptional air cargo services they are used to,” Mr Ilin stated upon the arrival of the
brand new two B-8Fs in Moscow.
The two new freighters are equipped with the traditional nose door and offer 16 percent more revenue cargo capacity than the 747-400F.
With these additional aircraft, ABC’s fleet is made up of eight 747-8Fs, five 747-400ERFs, and two 747-400Fs, thus offering the market a total transport capacity of roughly 1,900 tons.
Heiner Siegmund
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