Air Belgium to add 747-8 freighters in early 2022

Air Belgium (KF, Brussels Charleroi) says it is planning to add an unspecified number of B747-8Fs in early 2022 as it grows its cargo business.

A job advertisement posted by the airline did not specify any further details concerning the number of B747s the airline will add or a proposed network. It also did not respond to ch-aviation’s request for comment.

The airline began operations on March 29, 2018, as a passenger carrier, combining scheduled operations with long- and short-term wet-lease deals. At that time, it secured four ex-Finnair A340-300s. As the COVID-19 pandemic undermined most of its market, the airline pivoted to cargo operations, initially converting one of its A340s into a makeshift freighter. In early 2021, the carrier announced that it would add its first dedicated freighters, precisely four A330-300(P2F)s, to be operated for CMA CGM Air Cargo. Then, in mid-2021, it decided to add two A330-900s the first of which was delivered in October. In total, its fleet currently comprises four A330-200Fs, one A330-900, and three A340-300s.

Air Belgium holds full traffic rights for services to Cuba, Curacao, Mauritius, Hong Kong, and China. It also holds rights for passenger services to Russia and, by default, can operate to any EU or open skies territory.

Currently, Air Belgium’s cargo operations based out of Liège and comprise a mix of charter flights on behalf of CMA CGM (mostly to the United States and Hong Kong) and wet-lease operations for Qatar Airways (QR, Doha Hamad Int’l).

Boeing will continue B747-8F production through 2022 as it has six more units to deliver – four for Atlas Air (5Y, New York JFK) and two for UPS Airlines (5X, Louisville Int’l), the ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows. Air Belgium will therefore be adding second-hand units.