[Avionics Today 12-18-2015] Boeing has delivered the first 767-300 Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF) to SF Airlines, making it the first BCF owned by an airline in China. The delivery took place at Boeing supplier ST Aerospace Services in Singapore, where the conversion work was performed. It is the first of five 767BCFs the airline will receive during the next year.
Based in Shenzhen, SF Airlines currently operates an all-Boeing fleet of 25 airplanes, and has signed a letter of intent to purchase 737-800BCFs following a program launch. The addition of the wide-body freighter to SF Airlines’ fleet of Boeing 737s and 757s is one example of changes being made by the airline to better support the rapid e-commerce growth in the China market. Moving forward, the plan is to continue to add more routes and expand the company’s transportation network, Liang said.
The China air express market is forecast to be among the fastest growing segments of the world air cargo market, largely due to e-commerce. According to the Boeing World Air Cargo Forecast, world air cargo traffic will grow 4.7 percent per year over the next 20 years, with domestic China and intra-Asia markets expanding 6.7 percent and 6.5 percent per year, respectively.