Newly-established UK cargo operator One Air has introduced a second Boeing 747-400 freighter to its fleet.
The airline states that the 747-400BDSF will support charter services between London Heathrow and Hong Kong.
It is also expecting to receive a third 747 in the first quarter of next year.
One Air commenced operations in July after it secured regulatory clearance from the UK Civil Aviation Authority.
“We have enjoyed a positive start to commercial operations and strong interest from the international cargo market, which reinforces our view of the long-term potential for a British all-cargo airline,” says chief executive Paul Bennett.
Its second aircraft (G-ONEE) is a Pratt & Whitney PW4000-powered airframe originally delivered to Air Canada in 1991.
After conversion to a freighter in 2006, the jet was used by carriers including Air China Cargo, Turkey’s ACT, Slovakian freight firm Air Cargo Global, and Moldova’s Aerotranscargo.
One Air says it has acquired the aircraft on long-term lease.
It adds that the 747 will offer “further ad hoc capacity for global charter services” to supplement its regular Hong Kong operation.
“We already have sufficient demand for a third aircraft, so our growth strategy at this stage is very much on track,” says Bennett.
One Air’s Hong Kong flights are flying via Muscat, the capital of Oman.
The airline stated in its most recent full-year filing, in September, that its expansion plans are currently based on the same aircraft type.
“These aircraft are a known quantity with a mature flying profile,” it said, acknowledging that – as the UK’s only operator of the 747 – access to suitable maintenance arrangements will become “increasingly challenging”.
One Air says it is considering the longer-term sustainability of the 747 and continues to evaluate the business case for diversifying its future fleet, with types such as the Boeing 777F.
