As some of you may know, Jet2 have a fleet of Boeing 737 QC's which are used overnight for cargo flights - particularly for Royal Mail flights.
However, their fleet of Boeing 737-300's is depleting and being replaced by newer 737-800's.

My concern is, what is going to happen with these overnight cargo flights?
Will another airline, such as Titan or West Air pick up these flights?

QC aircraft that have left the fleet so far are:

G-CELP
G-CELR
G-CELZ

Also G-CELW has been WFU, which is their fully freighter configured aircraft.

That only leaves 5 QC configured aircraft remaining.

Jet2 have lost the contract to West Air, so I imagine they'll be stored or scrapped. They are quite some age anyway.

Jet2 by all accounts did not tender for the renewal of the Royal Mail contract and it was awarded to West Air Sweden and this was officially announced several months ago.

Some of them will be >30 years old. Most of them are ex Ansett Australia aircraft.

tomkell92 wrote:

My concern is, what is going to happen with these overnight cargo flights?
Will another airline, such as Titan or West Air pick up these flights?

West Atlantic will pick up all these flights. I believe they also got the Titan contract, in that case the days of the 733QC's at their fleet might be numbered as well.

tomkell92 wrote:

QC aircraft that have left the fleet so far are:

G-CELP
G-CELR
G-CELZ

Also G-CELW has been WFU, which is their fully freighter configured aircraft.

That only leaves 5 QC configured aircraft remaining.

Technically down to 4 QC configured aircraft, as G-CELA is no longer in use as a QC. And we might be down to three actually, as G-GDFE was also ferried from EDI to LBA last Friday.

I'm totally out of touch with the UK air freight market so I'd be grateful if anyone could fill me in. Other than the aforementioned carriers, do the likes of Eastern or Stobart have suitable equipment for carrying airmail?

Jet2 did tender for one route (Belfast) but were unsuccessful and the whole jet and mid-size turboprop contract went to West Atlantic. Big growth for them.

Chaostheory wrote:

I'm totally out of touch with the UK air freight market so I'd be grateful if anyone could fill me in. Other than the aforementioned carriers, do the likes of Eastern or Stobart have suitable equipment for carrying airmail?

Not really. Other than in the cargo hold of the aircraft, there isn't much room for cargo on their aircraft.
Both airlines have PAX configs on all their aircraft. West Air, Loganair and ASL Airlines (FedEx) are the only ones operating turboprops that carry cargo, as far as I'm aware.

opticalilyushin wrote:

Jet2 have lost the contract to West Air, so I imagine they'll be stored or scrapped. They are quite some age anyway.

Thanks for the info.
Correct, most of their aircraft are either already 30 years old or not far from reaching it.

I have fond memories of working on their old 733s. It's an unfortunate loss of revenue for Jet2, but a blessing in disguise for them and Titan, who both wanted to get a newer and younger fleet, but had no real cheap options on the cargo carrying front

ZuluTime wrote:

Jet2 did tender for one route (Belfast) but were unsuccessful and the whole jet and mid-size turboprop contract went to West Atlantic. Big growth for them.

http://www.westatlantic.eu/
Quiet a sizable operation.

readytotaxi wrote:

http://www.westatlantic.eu/
Quiet a sizable operation.

40 BAe ATP-F! So that's where they all ended up

BasilFawlty wrote:

tomkell92 wrote:

My concern is, what is going to happen with these overnight cargo flights?
Will another airline, such as Titan or West Air pick up these flights?

West Atlantic will pick up all these flights. I believe they also got the Titan contract, in that case the days of the 733QC's at their fleet might be numbered as well.

tomkell92 wrote:

QC aircraft that have left the fleet so far are:

G-CELP
G-CELR
G-CELZ

Also G-CELW has been WFU, which is their fully freighter configured aircraft.

That only leaves 5 QC configured aircraft remaining.

Technically down to 4 QC configured aircraft, as G-CELA is no longer in use as a QC. And we might be down to three actually, as G-GDFE was also ferried from EDI to LBA last Friday.

Blimey, sounds like they are accelerating the withdrawal of these aircraft then.

Didn't know about G-CELA. Still listed as a QC aircraft on most fleet websites, but have seen it operating from non-cargo hubs, like MAN and LBA lately, so was beginning to wonder.

All QC functions have been removed, what's left is the large cargo door. The same goes for G-CELR by the way, that one was also no longer in use as a QC.

BasilFawlty wrote:

All QC functions have been removed, what's left is the large cargo door. The same goes for G-CELR by the way, that one was also no longer in use as a QC.

Ah okay, I see.
Yeah, I knew about G-CELR. That got done a while ago - first one I think.

BasilFawlty wrote:

tomkell92 wrote:

My concern is, what is going to happen with these overnight cargo flights?
Will another airline, such as Titan or West Air pick up these flights?

West Atlantic will pick up all these flights. I believe they also got the Titan contract, in that case the days of the 733QC's at their fleet might be numbered as well.

Titan supposedly have a 734 (ex-BA) under conversion to a 734F in MIA (N844AU ex G-DOCY) but I don't know if that will progress if they don't have contracts for it.

Loganair are converting at least one Saab 340 to freighter ops at the moment to increase their small fleet. Apparently to service a recently won cargo contract within the UK. I have no further details other than to add they'll be the first into the new traditional livery, post Flybe colours.

GCT64 wrote:

BasilFawlty wrote:

tomkell92 wrote:

My concern is, what is going to happen with these overnight cargo flights?
Will another airline, such as Titan or West Air pick up these flights?

West Atlantic will pick up all these flights. I believe they also got the Titan contract, in that case the days of the 733QC's at their fleet might be numbered as well.

Titan supposedly have a 734 (ex-BA) under conversion to a 734F in MIA (N844AU ex G-DOCY) but I don't know if that will progress if they don't have contracts for it.

Interesting...
Will keep an eye on that one.

JannEejit wrote:

Loganair are converting at least one Saab 340 to freighter ops at the moment to increase their small fleet. Apparently to service a recently won cargo contract within the UK. I have no further details other than to add they'll be the first into the new traditional livery, post Flybe colours.

Well given that all of Loganair's Saab 340's are over 20 years old, most around 25 years, it was only a matter of time before they convert them from PAX to freighters.

GCT64 wrote:

[quote="BasilFawlty"
Titan supposedly have a 734 (ex-BA) under conversion to a 734F in MIA (N844AU ex G-DOCY) but I don't know if that will progress if they don't have contracts for it.

According to Flight24 this aircraft, registered G-POWP to Titan Airways, is now operating the STN-BFS Royal Mail rotation.

It has a fairly unusual history for an ex-BA aircraft. It was delivered to BA in September 1993 . This was during the down-turn in commercial aviation following the First Gulf War.

BA registered it G-BVBY. On delivery they ferried it BFI-MHV painted white with no titles. in March 1994 it was ferried MHV-LHR. There BA rolled it out in an all-white livery with blue billboard 'ALBATROS' (sic) titles and the Turkish registration TC-ALS. But Albatros Airlines suspended operations that month. However BA managed to quickly lease it to Eurobelgian Airlines and. it entered service with them on 29 April as OO-LTQ. Two years later on 4 April 1996 Eurobelgian was bought by the Virgin Group and renamed Virgin Express Airways. After a short lease by Virgin to Air Provence International it was returned to BA in October 1996. They reregistered it G-DOCY.

Its after-life was more conventional for a BA aircraft until it was retired on 31 December 2014. With eight other 734s BA sold it to Automatic and all were parked at VCV. However I believe what was BA's G-DOCY has the distinction of being their only 737 436 in service today. If any of the other eight might return to service as freighters remains to be seen.