Miloch wrote in
:

https://simpleflying.com/cargo-operators-older-planes/

You may have noticed that many cargo aircraft are older planes that
have long been out of commercial passenger usage, like the Airbus
A300. Others are new aircraft from production lines that no longer
offer passenger versions, like the Boeing 767. Why do cargo carriers
prefer older planes? Let’s find out.

How old are these cargo aircraft?

You might be surprised to learn that many of the world’s biggest cargo
airlines, such as FedEx, UPS, DHL, and more, operate incredibly old
fleets.

Here are some example fleet average ages:

•FedEx Express – 20.7 years (they operate everything from Airbus A300s
to custom MD-10s).

•UPS Airlines – 19.8 years (Operating A300s to Boeing 747s).

•DHL Aviation – 22.3 years (A diverse group of airlines, with some
branches operating a fleet age of 35+ years!)

•Cargolux – 10.8 years (An all Boeing 747 cargo carrier with a smaller
Italian branch operating an average fleet age of 15+ years)

•Atlas Air – 23.3 years (50% of its fleet is nearing 30 years old).

Compared to this, passenger airlines have much younger fleets:

•Emirates – 7.1 years.

•Qantas – 11.5 years (regional aircraft bump up the average age, might
be replaced by Airbus A220s).

•Singapore Airlines – 6.6 years.

•British Airways – 13.6 years (with older Boeing 777s pushing up the
numbers).

•American Airlines – 11.3 years (with Airbus A320s and Boeing 757s
pushing up the average age).

•Starlux (new) – Four months!

More complicated than it seems

At first, the answer may seem logical. Older aircraft are cheaper for
cargo carriers to buy. But then why don’t passenger airlines buy them
as well? Why do passenger airlines seek out new, fuel-efficient
aircraft like the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350, and cargo carriers
don’t?

These older aircraft may cost more in maintenance (especially when
considering the lack of spare parts) and have a comparably mediocre
fuel economy.

If an aircraft is grounded, it may cost a cargo company far more than
a passenger airline. A small Boeing 727 may only have up to 189
disgruntled passengers, but a cargo configured Boeing 727 may have
thousands of freight customers annoyed when a delay hits their
packages.

So why do we see cargo operators flying these older aircraft and the
counterpoint, passenger airlines, operating newer aircraft?

Why do cargo airlines fly older aircraft?

First, these older aircraft are cheaper to buy. Less capital
expenditure allows the carrier to expand the cargo fleet fast (more on
that below) and to turn a profit quicker. If a plane costs less
upfront, then cargo carriers don’t mind spending more maintaining
them.

Cargo airlines make their aircraft last longer than passenger
airlines, thanks to their unique pattern of use. This is because a
cargo aircraft tends to fly less frequently than passenger aircraft
do. For example, United might fly a single Boeing 737 6-8 sectors in a
day, but FedEx will only operate 4-6 daily flights with the same
aircraft type.

Cargo carriers prefer to deploy aircraft to ship cargo over long
flights as it is cheaper for shorter routes to use a truck or a train.
Passengers, on the other hand, can’t be ‘shipped overnight’ and demand
to fly short routes as quickly as possible.

More takeoffs and landings (pressurization cycles) with passenger
aircraft results in more wear and tear, and thus a shorter lifespan.
Cargo aircraft generally fly much longer routes and therefore last far
longer over the lifetime of the plane.

Originally, when cargo airlines exploded onto the scene in the 1970s,
there was not enough capacity to build cargo freighters at Airbus and
Boeing. FedEx and other airlines had to turn to the second-hand market
to fill their appetite for aircraft, although in recent years, that
has changed as airframe builders boost older lines with cargo orders
(such as the Boeing 767).

Cargo airlines do join the queue to get new cargo aircraft (like the
Boeing 777 freighter). However, in a world where they need to compete
not only with other cargo airlines but also with passenger airlines
who also dip their toes into the air cargo space, rapid fleet
expansion and lower acquisition costs of older aircraft prove to be
appealing motivators.

Why do passenger airlines fly newer aircraft?

You might have thought, if there are all these advantages with cargo
airlines using older aircraft, then why don’t passenger airlines use
older aircraft as well?

Put simply; passengers love newer planes. Many of the passenger
carriers we listed above are flagship premium airlines that offer some
of the best experiences in the sky. They want to reflect that, and
part of their branding is to have the most up to date, modern
aircraft.

These newer aircraft also come with new features like more delightful
cabins, bigger windows, better pressurization, and more, that just
make them darn comfy to fly in. Freight doesn’t share any passenger
desires like this and doesn’t mind flying in an older aircraft.

Additionally, what wears out more? The well-trodden plush interior of
the aircraft or the hard exterior of the airframe? The inside of a
plane breaks down far quicker (especially with so many passengers)
than the exterior. Passenger airlines then have to choose to renovate
an old plane, or just upgrade to a new one. A new, shiny one that will
give it an edge over the competition.

In the end, nearly every cargo carrier would love to have a fleet of
fuel-saving Boeing 787s to fly cargo flights. But they are expensive
to buy, the queue is long and has too many extra bells and whistles
that cargo airlines just don’t need.



Airworthiness certificates for cargo planes
are far less....demanding....than for passenger
equipment. I remember when DC-10's were all
pulled from passenger service after the Chicago
crash where an engine fell off kiling everyone
on board. The military snapped them up as
refueling tankers, and they are still in use as
firefighting drop planes.

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