Relatively long, thin passenger routes have enjoyed a resurgence in the USA and Europe since regional jets made them viable. Now, a recently-formed US freight carrier is also looking to create a similar phenomenon in the small packages market.
Atlanta, Georgia-based North South Airways is the launch customer for Embraer's freighter conversion to its EMB-120 Brasilia turboprop (and is showing the new version in the Farnborough static park).
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North South is the 'in house' airline of the International Airline Support Group (IASG), which operates an aftermarket parts business from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and an aircraft sales and leasing division from Atlanta. IASG has purchased 10 freighter conversion systems from Embraer and taken options on a further 10.The first two conversions will initially be put into service on North South, which was formed by IASG as a shell company and in May completed the acquisition of Atlanta-based Diamond Aviation, whose fleet included two EMB-120s.The conversion involves removal of the EMB-120's seats, sidewalls, overhead bins and rear bulkhead separating the cabin from the baggage compartment. In their place go 9g barrier nets, a rigid smoke barrier and fire-resistant sidewalls, plus a cabin air shut-off valve to choke any in-flight fire. No structural modifications are required to the floor; the conversion takes around 1,000 man hours and the aircraft is then re-typed as an EMB-120FC.The resulting freighter can carry a maximum payload of 3,700kg (8,150lb) in a volume of around 31m3, says David Marcontell, North South's vice-president, operations. "With a maximum load, you would be looking at a range of somewhere around 350nm, but if you drop it to just 7,200lb, your range jumps to about 1,100nm," he comments.
It is this range, combined with a cruising speed substantially above roughly similarly-sized freighters such as the Shorts SD330/360, that he believes will give the EMB-120FC an edge.
Just as regional jets have enabled passengers to make more point-to-point journeys, the new freight conversion will allow the EMB-120FC to avoid increasingly-congested cargo hubs such as Memphis, says Marcontell, who believes this capability will stimulate new business.
"We're talking right now with Fedex, UPS and Airborne Express. All of the package carriers have expressed an interest. We're also talking with several freight forwarders who move automotive parts. 'Just-in-time' inventory systems depend on air transport to move components. These aircraft are the right size for that."
Fleet
North South is putting its money where its mouth is: "We're intending to add one aircraft a month until we get to six, then we will re-evaluate. Based on preliminary estimates, we visualise a fleet of 18 Brasilias in about 24 months." Eventually, IASG foresees spinning off North South as a separate company while retaining a "very substantial" shareholding in the carrier. Its aircraft will be based around the USA: "We're leveraging a lot of technologies, including the internet, to position aircraft all over the country." IASG's leasing business also has major plans involving the EMB-120. It now has six of the type on its books, but plans to increase this to around 50 over the next five years.
Source: Flight Daily News
