Russian carrier S7 Airlines is ready to enter the cargo market through a deal with lessors GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), a leading global player in commercial aircraft leasing.
The aircraft leasing company will reportedly provide S7 with two Boeing 737-800 converted freighters which will operate on medium and short haul routes.
The airline’s current airfreight programme involves the carrier acting as the GSA for the airline and efficiently uses belly capacity on passenger planes. The freighters are said to be delivered in November 2020 and January 2021.
Ilya Yaroslavtsev, Chief Executive, S7 Cargo said in a statement, “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 per cent.”
