NWA Freighter

[BusterHymen]

Anyone out there heard anything about NWA converting 747-400 pax to 747-400 freighter, and possibly doing an ACMI contract with Atlas Air Cargo to fill in the gap while they phase out their -200 freighters, and await deliveries of their new -400 freighters???????

I must emphasize that this is only a RUMOR circulating, and must be treated as such!


Happy Holidays!

 

[whereamI]

Have not heard that one, but I did hear that NWA is planning to pull some -200's out of the desert to use as freighters. I have no info on who they will be flying them for though.

 

[filejw]

In the new contract NWA has the right to charter A/C for increased flying while the 200's are converted into cargo A/C.The limit is like 6 months.

 

[GCD]

Old news.

NWA is converting some of the -400's to freighters. It's up in the air if anyone will be chartered or wet leased in the interim (unless this has recently changed).

 

[filejw]

Ships 6631 and 6632 are 747-200 pax a/c to be converted to F models.The wet lease provisions of the new agreement are being explored by the company at the present time.

 

[ILStoMinimums]

How many freighters are they running currently?

 

[JimBo480]

NWA has 12 747-200 freighters flying out of Anchorage. They are converting 2 more (747-200's) to freighters in 2005.

 

[Whale Rider]

No offense to NWA, but I find it amazing that any company would waste money converting 747-200's into frieghters, when the 747-400 is far more efficient and better carrying capacity. In the long run the -400 will save BUCKS. In an industry driven by "Cost" and "Oil" this move makes no sense. However, I guess it all depends on how the bean counters crunch the numbers.

 

[GCD]

Aaahhh, Grasshoppersan...

When I was at JAL, we did a cost comparisom -400 v. -200 and -300.

We found that the -200 was less expensive to operate per hour than the -400, and the -300 beat them both in efficiency.

 

[JimBo480]

Here's my best guess. The -200 airframes are owned, so it's a cost free starting point.

I was also told that the -200 was better for the shorter haul flights. The few months I flew on the whale out of Anchorage I don't remember ever having a leg over 8 hours. The planes almost always filled up vs maxed out for weight, so all pallet positions were full and we flew fairly light on gas.

I only flew freight for about 6 months, but I was impressed with the operation.

Jim, still on furlough but only 34 line numbers from recall