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Alaska Air Cargo Selects Boeing for Two 737-800 Passenger-to-Freight Conversions

Joe Breitfeller

Alaska Airlines has selected Boeing to convert two B737-800 aircraft to 737-800BCF (Boeing Converted Freighters). The conversion work will be completed at Cooperativa Autogestionaria de Servicios Aeroindustriales (COOPESA) in Costa Rica.


Alaska Air Cargo Boeing 737-800BCF - Courtesy Alaska Airlines

On Thursday (November 10, 2022), Alaska Airlines announced that they have selected Boeing to convert two B737-800 passenger airplanes into 737-800BCFs (Boeing Converted Freighters). The conversion work will be done in Costa Rica by Cooperativa Autogestionaria de Servicios Aeroindustriales (COOPESA). The aircraft will come from Alaska’s existing passenger fleet and will be leased from BBAM, an industry leader in aircraft leasing and freighter conversions. The conversions will begin in 2023, and the aircraft are expected to join Alaska’s dedicated freighter fleet serving the state of Alaska by early 2024. The Boeing 737-800BCF offers a payload capacity of nearly 50,000 pounds and a range of 2,800 nautical miles, making it ideally suited for intra-Alaska cargo transport.


In Thursday’s announcement, Alaska Air Cargo’s Managing Director, Adam Drouhard, said,


“Fleet expansion positions our growing cargo business to meet increased demand that we see from industry and consumers. The 737-800 aircraft provides 40% more load space than our current 737-700 freighters, essentially doubling Air Cargo’s total freighter lift capacity. We look forward to getting these 737-800s into service to support Alaska’s supply chain and connect cargo to over 100 cities we serve across North America.”


Also commenting on the aircraft conversions. Alaska Airlines Regional Vice President, Marilyn Romano, said,


“Alaskans have always relied on Alaska Air Cargo to provide time-sensitive services to their communities. Whether it is vaccines, medicine, household supplies or fresh food, our freighters keep rural Alaska supplied and connected. With service to 20 communities across Alaska, and only three accessible by road, adding new aircraft to the current freighter fleet allows expansion of our vital services to all Alaskans. The additional freighter capacity also allows us to quickly move seafood and other commodities from Alaska to points throughout the U.S.”

Boeing’s Vice President – Boeing Converted Freighter and Engineering Services, Mike Doellefeld, added,


“We are pleased that Alaska Air Cargo has selected the 737-800BCF to meet growing demand for air cargo in the state of Alaska, and across its network. By introducing the reliable 737-800BCF to its existing freighter fleet, Alaska Air Cargo can offer more capacity where its customers need it most – and with lower emissions.”


Alaska Air Cargo serves over 100 North American destinations with an extensive network and more than 1,200 daily flights, providing belly-hold and dedicated freighter cargo capacity. The carrier’s fleet of dedicated Boeing 737 Freighters serve 20 communities in Alaska, while over 300 passenger aircraft provide freight capacity to the continental U.S., Canada, Hawaii, Mexico and Costa Rica.



Source: Alaska Airlines

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