FedEx Express wet-leases 777 freighter for peak season ops

FedEx Express (FX, Memphis Int’l) has wet-leased a B777-200F from Etihad Airways (EY, Abu Dhabi Int’l) to bolster capacity in time for the peak pre-holiday shipping period, Cargo Facts has reported. A6-DDA (msn 39682) was ferried from Abu Dhabi Int’l, via Dubai Int’l and Paris CDG, to Memphis Int’l on November 30, 2020, and started operating on behalf of FedEx the day after. Flightradar24 ADS-B data indicates that the Boeing freighter is used daily on Memphis-London Stansted services. Neither of the two airlines responded to ch-aviation’s request for comment regarding the duration of the contract. The 9.5-year dedicated freighter, which is owned by Etihad Airways, was retired by the Emirati flag carrier on August 20, 2020, and has since been stored at Abu Dhabi airport, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows. The other five B777-200Fs operated by Etihad Airways are all active. Other third-party carriers operating on behalf of FedEx, mostly under long-term commitments, include Airwork Flight Operations, ASL Airlines Belgium, ASL Airlines France, ASL Airlines Ireland, Bluebird Nordic, Empire Airlines, Gulf & Caribbean Cargo, Morningstar Air Express, Mountain Air Cargo, Swiftair, West Atlantic (United Kingdom), West Atlantic Sweden, and Western Global Airlines, the ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows. FedEx Express itself operates forty-five B777-200Fs and is the world’s largest operator of the type.