Inaugural Boeing 747-400 Freighter Flight Marks Successful Debut of Britain’s New All-Cargo Airline, One Air

One Air, Britain’s latest all-cargo airline, has achieved a significant milestone by successfully completing its first Boeing 747-400 freighter flight. The inaugural flight involved a full charter for client Shandong Glory, transporting a substantial 100-ton payload from China to the United Kingdom (UK), specifically arriving at London-Heathrow Airport (LHR) on July 24, 2023. This marked the official commercial launch of the airline.

Following the successful arrival in the UK, the Boeing 747 departed for its return journey to China on July 26, 2023, and is expected to land back at Heathrow on July 27, 2023, in the evening.

In line with its expansion plans, One Air intends to conduct ad hoc charter flights in addition to two weekly freighter flights. To further strengthen its fleet, the airline has also confirmed the addition of a second Boeing 747F, set to begin service in early Q4.

Chris Hope, the COO of One Air, expressed his delight in the company’s achievement, stating, “This is a landmark day for One Air and all our team and partners in the UK, who have worked tirelessly to ensure a successful launch since the awarding of our AOC by the UK Civil Aviation Authority. We are thrilled to be open for business.”

One Air proudly stands as the sole UK operator of the Boeing 747, having dry leased B747-400SF.

One Air’s CEO, Paul Bennett, shared his excitement about the milestone, saying, “It is a proud day for us to operate our first customer flight and marks the start of our strategic development plan to build One Air’s reputation with clients in prime air cargo markets around the world.”

The Boeing 747, registered as G-UNET, carries a remarkable history, having previously flown for Air Canada in August 1991 before being utilized as a freighter by Air China Cargo from 2006.

Jacky Wu, general manager of Shandong Glory, expressed his appreciation and best wishes to One Air, stating, “We are proud to have shared this milestone with One Air and thank everyone connected with the flight from China for a highly efficient operation and customer experience. It is pleasing to see a new British cargo airline take to the air, and we wish One Air great success as it works to establish its place in the global market.”