West Atlantic expecting maiden B737-800BCF in mid-1Q18

West Atlantic Sweden (SWN, Gothenburg Landvetter) has confirmed it is expecting its first B737-800(BCF) to deliver during the first quarter of next year. In June this year, the Swedish freight specialist agreed to lease four aircraft of the type from GECAS with its original projections indicating a late 2017 delivery.

However, as the B737-800(BCF) programme's launch operator, West Atlantic said in its 2Q17 interim financial filing that the first aircraft, currently undergoing conversion at Boeing's modification facility at Shanghai Pudong, is on track to now deliver in February 2018. Thereafter, the second, third, and fourth aircraft are due in August, November, and February 2019.

Once completed, the B737-800(BCF) will be equipped with CFM56-7B engines, and will be able to carry up to 23.9 tonnes of cargo with twelve main deck positions over 2,000 nautical miles.

"The B737-800(BCF) will be an enabler for us to make a leap in reliability, capacity, and ability to expand in areas of the world away from our traditional markets, such as Asia," West Atlantic's CEO, Fredrik Groth, said at the time.

Specializing in mail and express freight, West Atlantic operates three B767-200(SF)s, thirty-two BAe ATP(F)s, and two CRJ-200(F)s while its Atlantic Airlines (UK) (NPT, Coventry) unit operates seven B737-300(F)s and nine B737-400(F)s (four of which are leased to EAT Leipzig).