US air cargo company Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings has ordered four Boeing 777 Freighters, handing the airframer another in a string of recent freighter wins.
Atlas expects to receive the first of the jets in November, with the remaining three aircraft to arrive in 2023, the Purchase, New York-based company said on 6 January.
Long-time Boeing customer Atlas, which owns several airlines and an aircraft leasing company, ordered the four freighters in December but has waited until now to disclose the news.
The additional 777Fs will help Atlas “capitalise on strong demand for dedicated air freight capacity”, says the company’s chief executive John Dietrich.
Also in 2022, Atlas intends to receive from Boeing four new 747-8Fs – the last of that type Boeing expects to produce.
Atlas and its subsidiaries have more than 100 Boeing jets, including 737-800Fs, 747-400Fs, 747-8Fs, 767Fs and 14 777Fs, according to the company and Cirium data. The carriers also operate Boeing passenger aircraft.
Demand for freighters has been strong in recent years, driven partly by the booming e-commerce industry. In the 11 months to end-November, Boeing had landed orders for 80 new freighters and secured contracts to convert “more than 80” passenger aircraft to a cargo configuration, it says.
Customers ordering Boeing freighters in recent months include FedEx, Lufthansa Cargo, Maersk and Silk Way West.
