Alaska Airways’ cargo division, Alaska Air Cargo, has chosen Boeing to transform two passenger plane to freighters (P2F). Boeing will convert two 737-800 plane that Alaska will use for its cargo operations in Alaska.
Boeing changing Boeing plane
The 2 737-800 Boeing Transformed Freighters (BCF) will come from Alaska’s fleet of passenger plane and be leased from BBAM. BBAM is an plane leasing and administration firm with expertise in freighter conversions.
Photograph: Alaska Airways
The primary conversion will start in 2023, and the second shall be full by early 2024. As soon as transformed, the plane may have a payload of just about 50,000 kilos and a variety of just about 2,800 nautical miles.
“Fleet growth positions our rising cargo enterprise to satisfy elevated demand that we see from business and shoppers. The 737-800 plane supplies 40%extra load house than our present 737-700 freighters, basically doubling Air Cargo’s whole freighter carry capability. We stay up for getting these 737-800s into service to assist Alaska’s provide chain and join cargo to over 100 cities we serve throughout North America.” – Adam Drouhard, Managing Director, Alaska Air Cargo
Boeing’s Vice President of Transformed Freighter and Engineering Providers, Mike Doellefeld, added,
“We’re happy that Alaska Air Cargo has chosen the 737-800BCF to satisfy rising demand for air cargo within the state of Alaska, and throughout its community. By introducing the dependable 737-800BCF to its current freighter fleet, Alaska Air Cargo can provide extra capability the place its clients want it most – and with decrease emissions.”
The conversion of the 2 737-800s will happen in Costa Rica at Cooperativa Autogestionaria de Servicios Aeroindustriales (COOPESA) and can convey Alaska Air Cargo’s fleet to 5 plane, all 737 transformed freighters. The 5 737s are plane devoted solely to cargo operations, however the airline additionally makes use of the holds of passenger plane for cargo on greater than 1,200 day by day flights. Alaska Air cargo providers greater than 100 locations in North America, 20 of them being within the state of Alaska.
Early planning
Alaska initially introduced in April that it was going to transform to 737-800s from its passenger fleet to freighters. On the time, the airline had not selected a contractor to carry out the conversions and had despatched out a request for proposals. It was estimated that every conversion would value about $5 million. On the time, Adam Drouhard hinted at the potential for extra conversions sooner or later, stating, “I do not suppose two is the magic quantity.”
Photograph: Alaska Airways
In the course of the pandemic, Alaska halted its “2020 Nice Land Funding Plan”, a $50 million undertaking that concerned upgrading and increasing its cargo terminals in Alaska. In April, Regional Vice President Romano mentioned that 12 terminals remained that wanted extra consideration. Improvement work stopped in the course of the pandemic on its Bristol Bay terminals and others in each Western and Northern Alaska.
Easy Flying has contacted Alaska Airways for an replace on its 2020 Nice Land Funding Plan however has not obtained a reply on the time of publication.