AeroTime
• Ian Molyneaux
Airbus expects the global dedicated freighter fleet to expand from 2,360 aircraft in 2026 to 3,460 by 2045. Of the 2,670 additional freighters it forecasts the market will need, 1,700 are expected to come from passenger-aircraft conversions and 970 to be new-build aircraft; Latin America is forecast to require 165.
Air Cargo & Freight Logistics
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Russian cargo operator Atran has restarted flight operations after a four-year pause, according to Commercial Aviation News. The report does not provide details on the scale of the restart, aircraft deployed, routes or the factors behind the hiatus, leaving the near-term scope of its return unclear.
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Airbus expects the global dedicated freighter fleet to expand from 2,360 aircraft in 2026 to 3,460 by 2045. Of the 2,670 additional freighters it forecasts the market will need, 1,700 are expected to come from passenger-aircraft conversions and 970 to be new-build aircraft; Latin America is forecast to require 165.
Mammoth Freighters has inducted its first Boeing 777-200LR for conversion at STAECO’s facility in Shandong province, China. The induction puts the aircraft into work at the company’s Chinese conversion line, extending its freighter-conversion activity to the facility.
The Pentagon and Air Force funding will support development of Natilus’ Kona regional cargo aircraft toward a contested-logistics demonstration. The optionally piloted blended-wing-body design is aimed at fuel-efficient cargo transport, including operations in remote locations, with potential commercial and military roles in the Indo-Pacific; its first flight is targeted for 2028.
Alatau Air Cargo plans to acquire Boeing 777 freighter capacity, according to a report whose available summary provides no details on the number of aircraft, acquisition structure or timing. The move points to an expansion of the Kazakh operator’s cargo capability, but the scale and operational impact remain unclear.
Local authorities in the UK intend to acquire the closed Doncaster Sheffield airport from its current owner as part of efforts to reopen the facility. Freight services could begin in autumn 2027, but only if regulatory and operational requirements are met.
An agreement between the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, Doncaster Council and Peel Land to bring land at Doncaster Sheffield Airport into public ownership has been approved. The move is another step toward reopening the airport, though no reopening date or operational details were provided.
Chapman Freeborn says demand for heavy and oversized air cargo is growing across Central Asia as mining, energy and infrastructure projects expand. The development raises the question of whether available air cargo capacity can keep pace with the region’s project-related transport needs.
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