SPECIAL TITLES - Mas Air (Galistair Malta)/ A330-343PDF / EI-MAE - Sinotrans title.

Malta's galistair to operate only freighter for Mas Air

MAS Cargo Airline has acquired 49% of Galistair Trading LTD, a European airline specializing in providing Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance (ACMI) leasing solutions.

As part of the commercial and operational agreements, Galistair already operates two Airbus A330-300P2Fs that it recently received more, between cities in Germany and North America, coordinated by mas. 

Sinotrans Limited (commonly referred to as Sinotrans) is one of the largest logistics companies in China.[4] The business areas of the company include storage and terminal services and trucking and marine transportation.[5]

Photo: Seres23

Budapest Liszt Ferenc - LHBP, Hungary

MAS AIR / A330-200P2F / EI-MAA

Brian Worthington

Mexico’s Mas Air rebrands, to expand to 18 freighters

Mas Air (M7, México City Int'l) has rebranded to mas as it further severs links with its LATAM Airlines Group past and plans to expand its fleet from eight freighters by the end of this year to 18 within the next five years.

Speaking at a ceremony to welcome its first A330-200(P2F) of at least four of the converted Airbus widebodies the Mexican carrier plans to add in the near future, chief executive Luis Sierra declared that the company intends to become a major international air cargo player, forging more routes between America, Europe, and Asia.

“Mas will take advantage of the bigger payload and range of the A330 to expand our global presence, increasing flights to Europe and South America and starting to fly to China,” Sierra said.

The company has already tripled its routes in the last three years with flights operated to the United States, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Germany, Japan, and now China, Sierra told the Mexican business daily El Financiero in an interview. It has also upsized its workforce from 90 to 320 employees over the same period and has seen its revenue rise from USD55 million to USD148 million.

Part of LATAM Airlines Group for two decades, until the group sold its stake in December 2018 to Mexican private equity fund Discovery Americas Capital, Mas Air is now seeking to write its own history, he said.

The fleet expansion to 18 aircraft by the end of 2024 will build on its current fleet, which consists, besides the A330, of three Boeing freighters - one B767-200(SF), one B767-300(ERBDSF), and one B767-300F, the ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows. Mas also plans to launch an ACMI business division, through which it will offer medium-term contracts for up to five years, Sierra told the newspaper.

“That will be our biggest bet. We will offer our experience to operate the aircraft, since our pilots use the best safety and operation standards, and our planes have a good range and cargo capacity. So we will be able to help our clients complement some of their routes, which due to inexperience or entering a new market may need a local partner like us,” he said.

ch aviation

MAS to get rid of its A380s

Airbus Group Chief Financial Officer Harald Wilhelm says he “cannot see” the alleged decision by Malaysia Airlines (MAS) to sell or lease out its entire Airbus A380 fleet “impacting our campaigns” for more orders.

MAS is understood to have decided to phase out its six Airbus A380s over time in an effort to reduce its long-haul capacity and to focus on a more regional network, a significant part of its restructuring. According to one senior airline source, MAS and Turkish Airlines have been talking about a lease deal for two Malaysia aircraft as Turkish expands its long-haul capacity. MAS said on Friday that it is "still working to finalize the business plan" and that "exploring fleet options to enhance viability of long-haul sectors is one area being looked into."

Ex-Aer Lingus CEO Christoph Mueller took over as MAS’s new Managing Director and CEO on April 30, replacing Ahmad Jauhari Yahya.

Wilhelm said on Thursday that the move was “a fleet-planning decision by a customer.” Airbus separately said that the aircraft “has enjoyed great success with MAS and is extremely popular with the airline’s customers.” IAG CEO Willie Walsh separately said on the same day that in principle he would be open to considering second-hand A380s, but that decision is still a few years out, in his opinion.

But contrary to Wilhelm’s remarks, the availability of six very young second-hand A380s on the market must be highly unwelcome news for Airbus as it struggles to find new customers for the aircraft. Airbus is already dealing with remarketing six A380s coming from the canceled Skymark order, some of which have already been built.

It is also facing the very real prospect that Turkish Airlines may opt to at least partly go for used aircraft, rather than the fleet of all-new A380s it has also been considering. Pricing power, too, will be affected, in campaigns in which the MAS aircraft arise as an option.

According to Wilhelm, A380 production of 30 aircraft is sold out in 2015-16, but there are open slots in 2017. “We still have time to add to [the order book],” he said.

Airbus plans to break even in terms of production costs for the first time in 2015, but for that target to be met, the manufacturer cannot reduce the annual rate too-far below 30 units.

Once confirmed, MAS will be the first airline to decide to retire an operational A380 fleet. In addition to Skymark, other orders have been canceled, including those by Hong Kong Airlines and Kingfisher. Air France and Lufthansa have reduced the number of units they will take. On the other hand, Emirates continues to expand its A380 fleet and now has a total of 140 aircraft on firm order.

AirNation Net

Photo:Glenn Palmer

MAS AIR - B767-300F, N314LA

João Luis Pessoa - LAX