Russian freight specialist Volga-Dnepr Group’s Atran Airlines division is leasing another pair of converted Boeing 737-800 freighters from GECAS.
The express cargo operator has received one 737-800BCF – an ex-Ryanair aircraft, registered VQ-BFR – from the lessor and is taking a second later in May.
They will build on the pair of 737-800BCFs which were introduced to Moscow Vnukovo-based Atran’s fleet in 2019.
Atran general director Vitaly Andreev says the type, which offers up to 23.5t of payload capability, “constitutes the backbone” of the airline’s fleet.
It operates short- and medium-haul routes, complementing the high-capacity freighters – including Antonov An-124s, Ilyushin Il-76s and Boeing 747s – of Volga-Dnepr and AirBridgeCargo.
“Additional aircraft will enable us to provide more solutions and guarantee high-quality services to our customers,” adds Andreev.
GECAS has over 60 converted 737-800s on order of which 34 have been delivered.
Atran’s fleet also includes three 737-400SFs, airframes originally delivered in the late 1990s to Istanbul Airlines and China Xinhua Airlines.
