S7 Airlines has announced the start its own cargo fleet consisting of two Boeing 737-800s that have been converted to freighter aircraft.
The converted 737BCFs are being leased from GECAS, one of the world’s largest aircraft leasing companies. Up until now, the Russian airline only transported freight in the cargo holds of its passenger aircraft. The 737s will be delivered in November this year and January 2021, and can fly for up to 3,750 kilometers or 2,000 nautical miles.
“The delivery of our first freighters is a significant milestone in S7 Airlines’ cargo operations. The additional capacity will be used on routes with strong demand and limited capacity of baggage compartments of passenger aircraft. S7 Airlines’ wide route map, our partnership with leading logistics companies and well-developed agent network enable us to carry payload and mail in relatively short time and provide efficient aircraft lading. Thanks to the new freighters, we expect to increase total volume of carried payload and mail by 30%,” said Ilya Yaroslavtsev, CEO of S7 Cargo.