CENTRAL AIRLINES / B777-F / B-227W

Photo: Ton Jochems - PRG

FLEET -Central Airlines adds Boeing 777F

Haikou-based Central now operates six 777Fs

Chinese cargo airline Central Airlines has added a Boeing 777 freighter to its fleet to add to its existing 11 aircraft.

The airline now has two 737-300 passenger to freighter (P2F) aircraft, four 737-800P2Fs aircraft and six 777Fs.

Central Airlines began operating 777 freighter flights from Tianjin (TSN) China to East Midlands Airport (EMA) in the UK on behalf of Chinese logistics express firm YunExpress. . Central operates two 777Fs in total for YunExpress.

Last year, Central Airlines began operating two 777Fs on behalf of DHL Express
Photo: Ton Jochems -BRU

ROUTES - Central Airlines offers more than 40 domestic and international cargo routes.

Beijing Capital Airlines launches Glasgow-Zhengzhou freighter service

The Hainan Airlines Group carrier is the third carrier in recent months to launch freighter services at Glasgow Prestwick Airport

Chinese carrier Beijing Capital Airlines has launched a regular freighter service linking Glasgow Prestwick Airport (PIK) with Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport (CGO).

The first flight, operated by an Airbus A330-200 passenger to freighter (P2F) service, arrived at PIK on Thursday 16 October, marking the start of a four-times-weekly schedule.

Each flight will carry e-commerce goods and general cargo inbound to the UK and premium produce including Scottish salmon and whisky along with other high value goods outbound to China.

Beijing Capital Airlines, a member of Hainan Airlines Group, is the third cargo airline to begin services to PIK in the last six months.

In May, China Southern Air Logistics began scheduled cargo flights to the airport from Guangzhou, with four flights a week initially and plans to increase to a daily service.

The following month, Air China Cargo began a three-times-a-week scheduled freighter service from Guangzhou and also had plans to increase the frequency of the service.

FLEET - DHL to place B777Fs with Central Airlines

DHL has announced on 10 July 2024 that it has signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with Central Airlines from China to place two Boeing B777Fs with the airline for operations within the DHL-network.

It's currently unclear if these aircraft are coming from DHL's existing order book with Boeing or are some of the ordered converted B777s,

DHL currently has 28 B777Fs in service, which it has placed for operations with AeroLogic, DHL Air UK, Kalitta Air, Polar Air Cargo, and Singapore Airlines.

It has open orders for six more B777Fs with Boeing directly and with Mammoth Aerospace for nine B777-200LRMFs.

Central Airlines today operates a fleet of three B737-300SFs, five B737-800BCFs, and two B777Fs.

Illustration by DHL.

 

China's Central Airlines plots US flights from 4Q23

Central Airlines (I9, Haikou) has filed an application with the US Department of Transportation (DOT) to begin operating cargo and mail flights between China and the United States (US) in November 2023. The airline says it initially wants to fly a B777-F between Shenzhen and an unspecified airport in the New York area six times a week.

The service would be the privately owned airline's first scheduled services to North America. Central Airlines' single B777F primarily flies to Paris CDG and Riyadh, while its five B737-300(F)s and four B737-800(BCF)s service ports within China as well as around Asia. In its filing, Central Airlines says it intends to induct a second B777 in August this year.

Beyond New York, the Central Airlines application states that it wants permission to operate flights from "a point or points in the People's Republic of China to any point or points in the United States open to scheduled international service." It says the application is fully consistent with the air services agreement China and the US that was signed in 1980. "Central Airlines’ proposed service would benefit shippers in both the United States and China by providing new scheduled service and would serve the public interest," the application reads.

According to ch-aviation capacities data, 11 cargo airlines presently operate on the China - US country pair with Air China accounting for 24.72% of the current weekly frequencies. The other airlines running cargo flights on the country pair and their share of total weekly frequencies are Suparna Airlines (18.08%); China Eastern Airlines (16.97%); China Cargo Airlines (15.13%); China Southern Airlines (12.18%); Polar Air Cargo (3.32%); SF Airlines (2.58%); Korean Air (2.21%); Cargolux (1.85%); Hainan Airlines (1.48%); and Qantas (1.48%).

CH Aviation

Central Airlines one of the most beautiful aircraft liveries

China Central Airlines (also known as Zhongzhou Airlines) is a cargo carrier based at Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport. China Central Airlines Co Ltd was established with a registered capital of CNY150 million (USD22 million). China Central Airlines confirmed it was awarded its air operator’s certificate (AOC) from CAAC Central and Southern Administration on 26-Apr-2020.

On 10-May-2020, China Central Airlines commenced commercial operations with the launch of Zhengzhou-Shenzhen service with Boeing 737-300F. The carrier received approval to operate Zhengzhou-Wuxi-Quanzhou/Shenzhen/Haikou services.

Cargo-airline Central Airlines has expanded the fleet with its first B777F. 

The Triple Seven involved is B-2079 (37715), which is a former China Cargo Airlines aircraft, and is operated by the airline for YunExpress.

Central Airlines, which was founded as Homeland Airlines in 2019 and based at Zhengzhou, is a cargo-airline only and also operates a fleet of five B737-300SFs and one B737-800BCF. A second B737-800BCF is due later this year.

Photo: Marcus Yu

B-2079 / Boeing 777-F6 / Serial #: 37715

Shenzhen Baoan - ZGSZ, China

Central Airlines expands with B777F

 Cargo-airline Central Airlines has expanded the fleet with its first B777F. CargoFacts already reported about it last month but the aircraft has now been delivered and in service. The Triple Seven involved is B-2079 (37715), which is a former China Cargo Airlines aircraft, and is operated by the airline for YunExpress.

Central Airlines, which was founded as Homeland Airlines in 2019 and based at Zhengzhou, is a cargo-airline only and also operates a fleet of five B737-300SFs and one B737-800BCF. A second B737-800BCF is due later this year.

Photo:Central Airlines. / Scramble

Central Airlines - B737-300F - B-2119

 Jay Lee

Central Airlines Begins Flight Operations

New Chinese freight carrier Central Airlines began flying on May 3, based in Zhengzhou, a city with ambitions to develop in air cargo.

Photo: Central Airlines