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As we pointed out in a recent post about the proposed launch of two new long-haul freighter operators, the failure of several all-cargo carriers in 2011 does not appear to have deterred new entrants into the main-deck freight business. This week we have further proof, as Hangzhou-based CDI Cargo Airlines says it has acquired three 737-300s, and will launch service from Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport (100 km southwest of Shanghai) following conversion of the aircraft to freighter configuration. Cargo Facts believes the three are 737-300s (25891, 27372, 27518) currently in the Air China fleet. No announcement has been made regarding the source of the conversions.
CDI said on its website that it would initially operate the 737 freighters on “domestic and surrounding routes” (presumably targeting Japan and/or Korea), but that it also planned to acquire widebody freighters for long-haul operation from a Hangzhou hub. CDI appears to be a joint venture of two Chinese companies (holding 51% and 24%, respectively) and two foreign companies (15% and 10%, respectively), and says it has been approved for operation by the Civil Aviation Authority of China.
Regarding the planned widebody freighters, the company's website offers an interesting glimpse into the future. Prominent at the top of the home page is the photo at right. Now, since CDI doesn't have any large freighters yet, this is obviously a mock-up of what it expects at sometime in the future. Or is it? We'll make this a contest with the usual prize of coffee and a doughnut for the first person to identify the "freighter" in the picture.
Comment by Peer Rosenkranz on January 27, 2012 at 10:57am where´s my doughnut? It´s a pimped 773 - what a beauty
Comment by Evan Pfahler on January 27, 2012 at 11:01am It does look long enough to be a 300 but I thought the 777F was based on the 200 frame. Is there a 300F variant on the way? My guess: 777F.
Comment by Peer Rosenkranz on January 27, 2012 at 11:06am I think the long fuselage will never fly as F. We are almost never volume-limited on the short airframe. But the pic is a nice idea anyways ;-)
Comment by David Harris on January 27, 2012 at 11:25am Congratulations Peer. Fastest contest win yet.
Yes, the picture is one of those clever ideas from the art department that probably should have been given a closer look by someone who actually knows something about aircraft. But, so what? It shows off the livery, gives the right impression, and looks cool.
Your doughnut, by the way, is sitting here on my desk. You can pick it up any time in the next five minutes. After that, it may suffer the same fate as all the other doughnuts that have ever been on my desk.
Comment by Peer Rosenkranz on January 27, 2012 at 11:38am so, as i´m sitting in the capital of Mc Donalds (which is?...) I will be in too late and, thus, will only get a cup of cold coffee... Rgds from Hamburg
Comment by Karen J Berg on January 27, 2012 at 11:48am And they're not looking at Jade Airlines and all those ocean freighters parked off SIN and worried about how long they'll be in business?
Karen, but the livery looks so nice.
Comment by Stan Wraight on January 28, 2012 at 1:31am Photoshop forever. Wonder why anyone would convert 737-300 when the 400 is readily available and the 300 leases are dirt cheap?
Comment by David Harris on January 28, 2012 at 7:55am Hi Stan -- good to hear from you. As to why anyone would choose 733s instead of 734s, I really don't know. All I can say is that there are three 737-300s in the Air China fleet that appear to be committed to this new outfit. (Which I believe is called Long Dragon Cargo Airlines in Chinese. No idea why they chose CDI for their English name.)
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