Canada’s Buffalo Airways buys a Boeing 737-300SF freighter

Canadian airline Buffalo Airways has purchased a Boeing 737-300SF freighter. The aircraft will begin operations in mid to late summer on Buffalo’s Edmonton International Airport-Yellowknife Airport main cargo route from Monday-Friday, Mikey McBryan, general manager at Buffalo Airways told Air Cargo News.

McBryan said: “Buffalo purchased this aircraft due to the increased demand for overnight freight going into Northern Canada. Buffalo Airways has overnight freight contracts with FedEx, UPS, DHL along with our own built in freight brand Buffalo Air Express. Buffalo Air Express accounts for over 60% of our volumes.

“Our current overnight freight service uses a mix of overland Truck and our vintage Curtiss C-46 cargo aircraft. This system allows us 13,000 lbs of overnight freight, the 737 upgrade will allow us to boost it up to 40,000 lbs nightly.”

Converted to a “Special Freighter” for TNT Express in 2006, the msn 23512 (DOM Oct 1986) aircraft is currently undergoing a maintenance check by European Aviation at Bournemouth Airport in the UK.

The 737 is scheduled to leave the maintenance base in the UK in mid-June.

It will be painted in Buffalo Airways Livery before heading to Canada for importation and subsequent operations.

The 737 will also be used alongside Buffalo’s Lockheed Electra Aircraft to service communities that have gravel runways. The 737 will do the pavement to pavement flying and the Electra will take the cargo from the pavement to the gravel runways. The Lockheed Electra payload is 30,000 lbs.

Buffalo Airways has no plans to retire any of its lend ray fleet of aircraft including the Douglas DC-3, Curtiss C-46 and Lockheed L-188 Electra, said McBryan.

Rebecca Jeffrey  www.aircargonews.net & Buffalo Airways