Even during the first day of the ALTA Leaders Forum 2023 in Cancún, Mexico, Boeing commented on the great demand for cargo planes mainly in the Latin America and Caribbean region.
According to the President of Boeing for Latin America and the Caribbean, Lando Loomis, today there is a greater demand for cargo planes like the converted 737NG than before the pandemic.
“During the pandemic there was a brutal demand for cargo planes and the entire market, the characteristics of the market itself changed a lot and with that the demand for specific freighters also changed, today we have a greater demand than before the pandemic”.
The executive also highlighted that one of the factors that boosted the demand for new cargo planes was e-commerce. “One of the points observed during the pandemic was e-commerce, the freighter market in the coming years could grow by 50%.”, added Loomis.
Despite the expectation of growth in the freighter segment, Boeing does not yet foresee a new conversion line in Latin America. Currently, the conversion of 737 NG aircraft is being carried out by COOPESA, which also carries out conversions of jets used by GOL in partnership with Mercado Livre.
The conversion line for Boeing 737 NG aircraft was opened at the beginning of 2022, as a way to meet the large demand for converted freighters with these characteristics, mainly for the Latin American region.
The Boeing 737-800BCF, officially converted to a freighter by Boeing, is capable of carrying up to 23,9 tons of cargo. The modifications leave the plane with 15% lower consumption compared to a 737-400F used by many companies.
The plane can carry cargo distributed across 11 standard-sized pallets and one reduced-sized pallet, at the rear of the aircraft, the entire interior is modified to lighten the weight of the aircraft.
The aircraft's two cargo holds are also available, with around 30% of the main deck's cargo volume. The maximum take-off weight of this aircraft is 79 tons, and its maximum range is 4.790 kilometers, when carrying 20,7 tons.
