newstodate.aero
Mar 04, 2010 (newstodate): The Swedish cargo operator Nord-Flyg received its first - and the world's first - converted Q400-PF Package Freighter on January 16, 2009 - but it has so far proved to be no success.
-There is certainly nothing wrong with the aircraft that will indeed have a bright future in opening a new segment in air cargo business. But the timing was really bad, says Ulf Darenius, Nord-Flyg CEO.
-We have had a few operations with the Dash-8 freighter, but it remains mostly on the ground due to lack of demand in the depressed airfreight market.
-So while capital and maintenance costs remain, revenues from the aircraft have been sparse. It was certainly a wise decision at the wrong time to acquire the Q400 freighter, says Mr Darenius.
For obvious reasons, earlier plans by Nord-Flyg to exercise its options for acquisition of a second and a third aircraft from SAS remain firmly on the shelf.
SAS still has six Q400 aircraft for sale after the grounding, in 2007, of the entire fleet of 27 Bombardier Q400 aircraft following three incidents due to landing gear deficiencies.
Among the customers for the 21 aircraft now sold are Malev that took four ex-SAS Q400 aircraft in August 2008, Austrian Airlines that acquired four ex-SAS Q400 aircraft in May 2008, and the Swedish operator Nord-Flyg that acquired one ex-SAS Q400 aircraft in March, 2008, for conversion to freighter.
-There is certainly nothing wrong with the aircraft that will indeed have a bright future in opening a new segment in air cargo business. But the timing was really bad, says Ulf Darenius, Nord-Flyg CEO.
-We have had a few operations with the Dash-8 freighter, but it remains mostly on the ground due to lack of demand in the depressed airfreight market.
-So while capital and maintenance costs remain, revenues from the aircraft have been sparse. It was certainly a wise decision at the wrong time to acquire the Q400 freighter, says Mr Darenius.
For obvious reasons, earlier plans by Nord-Flyg to exercise its options for acquisition of a second and a third aircraft from SAS remain firmly on the shelf.
SAS still has six Q400 aircraft for sale after the grounding, in 2007, of the entire fleet of 27 Bombardier Q400 aircraft following three incidents due to landing gear deficiencies.
Among the customers for the 21 aircraft now sold are Malev that took four ex-SAS Q400 aircraft in August 2008, Austrian Airlines that acquired four ex-SAS Q400 aircraft in May 2008, and the Swedish operator Nord-Flyg that acquired one ex-SAS Q400 aircraft in March, 2008, for conversion to freighter.