Air Canada adding two new freighters

Air Canada Cargo will be adding two more Boeing 767-300F freighters to its growing freighter fleet.

The announcement was made at the same time as the company released its financial results for the first quarter of 2021. The cargo division of the carrier posted quarterly revenue up 42 percent to $398 million.

The company’s first Boeing 767-300ER freighter made its maiden flight in December 2021, carrying cargo to Vancouver in the aftermath of the British Columbia floods.

Growing fleet

The two new aircraft are to be delivered this year and will be in addition to the eight 767-300s that are being converted for cargo operations.

“Since their entry into service, our Boeing 767-300BDSF freighters have proven their value to Air Canada and Air Canada Cargo,” said Jason Berry, vice-president, cargo, at Air Canada.

“These additional factory-built 767-300F aircraft will allow Air Canada Cargo to speed up the expansion of its freighter fleet, helping provide reliable, dedicated service to key cargo routes around the world, further bolstering the capacity provided by Air Canada’s mainline fleet.”

Added capacity

The 767-300 freighters allow Air Canada Cargo to offer five different main deck configurations, increasing the overall cargo capacity of each aircraft to nearly 58 tonnes or 438 cubic metres, with approximately 75 percent of this capacity on the main deck.

Berry said the addition of the new freighters signals the airline’s commitment to dedicated freighter operations.

“I am thrilled that Air Canada Cargo continues to be one of the fastest growing cargo carriers year over year thanks to the strength of Air Canada’s global network and the addition of dedicated freighter capacity. We are happy to now have two converted Boeing 767-300BDSF freighters in operation. Along with an enhanced freighter schedule, this will allow Air Canada Cargo to connect more destinations with direct freighter capacity for our forwarding partners,” Berry said.