Teleport converts two A320s into air freighters

Thursday, 10 June 2021

KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia Group Bhd's cargo and logistics unit Teleport has operated its maiden freighter flight with a dedicated B737-800F aircraft, reinforcing its position as a key air logistics player in Asia.

The company has also converted two AirAsia's A320 passenger aircraft with seats removed for increased capacity.  The freighters will begin operations across Asia beginning the third quarter of 2021 and will operate from Teleport hub in Bangkok. 

Teleport said the additional capacity would strengthen its route network between China, India and Southeast Asia, offering improved connectivity to and from Teleport's long-haul markets.

The two A320 aircraft with seats removed will be based in Malaysia and Thailand. They will continue their schedule to key cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Jakarta and Yangon from the two strategic hubs in Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.

The conversion of the A320 in Malaysia was performed  by Asia Digital Engineering, and by Thai AirAsia for the A320 aircraft based in Thailand.

Teleport chief operating officer Adrian Loretz said the expansion strengthened its logistics footprint across Asia. 

"It was evident at the end of last year that the demand for cargo capacity was not going to be served with passenger belly capacity alone in the long run. 

"We evaluated the option to utilise dedicated freighters to transport cargo. This is also part of our strategy to build the capacity and connectivity to offer 24 hours door-to-door delivery across all of Southeast Asia," he said in a statement today.

Loretz said the aircraft was capable to handle the current surge in demand for e-commerce and other cargo.

"We want to build our network with this dedicated cargo capacity. We are here for the long run and are ready to do more with freighters and converted planes," he added.

Since 2020, Teleport has built a cargo-only network across key air cargo lanes in the region to cater for the increasing e-commerce and overall cargo demand. In May, AirAsia operated six A330 and two A320 on behalf of Teleport and planned to increase it within the year.