Qatar Cargo set to exit 747-8F operations as UPS takes aircraft
13 / 02 / 2024
Source: Matheus Obst/ Shutterstock.com
Qatar Airways Cargo looks set to offload its two Boeing 747-8 freighters with UPS adding the two jumbos.
Speaking following the announcement of its quarterly results, UPS chief financial officer Brian Newman confirmed that it had acquired two 747-8Fs “through Qatar”.
Newman said the aircraft additions were part of efforts to retire some of its older and less efficient MD-11Fs.
Flight tracking website Planespotters.net shows that one of the aircraft (A7-BGA) was transferred to Victorville Southern California Logistics Airport at the start of February and its registration has been changed to N634UP.
The second aircraft (A7-BGB) is still listed as part of the Qatar Cargo fleet and continues to operate flights out of Doha.
However, Planespotters.net indicates that the freighter is in the process of being transferred over to UPS.
The Doha-headquartered airline took delivery of its two 747-8Fs in 2017 and has operated them since then.
However, since then, it has rapidly expanded its Beoing 777 freighter fleet and today operates 27 of the model, up from 13 when it took delivery of its 747-8Fs in 2017.
According to its website, the airline also offers capacity on two 747-400Fs and a single Airbus A310F, although it is not clear if these are operated directly by Qatar Airways.
Flight tracking sites list the two 747-400Fs as being operated by Turkey’s ACT Airlines.
The latest 777F was delivered to Qatar in December last year and Boeing lists a further aircraft to be delivered.
Air Cargo News has contacted Qatar Cargo for comment.
Meanwhile, UPS had, by the end of last year, reduced its MD-11F fleet to 36 operational aircraft. At its height, the express firm operated 43 of the aircraft.
The company plans to retire a further nine of the aircraft during 2024.
