Last May, the Brazilian carrier LEVU became the first Latin American registered carrier to take delivery of an A321 P2F. The jetliner’s owner is SmartLynx Airlines, based in Latvia, which had inked a dry lease contract with LEVU. Next candidate to operate the Airbus passenger-to-freighter conversion is Barueri, Sao Paulo-headquartered Azul Linhas Aéreas. It will soon take delivery of its first A321 P2F at its Viracopos hub.
To date, Azul has operated a freighter fleet consisting of just two Boeing 737-400SFs. Now A321 P2Fs are to follow, the first model of which has the registration PS-AJA. The aircraft is already 18 years old, but the conversion to a freighter will give it a second life. Azul points out that the aircraft, although older, consumes around 20% less fuel than the two Boeing 737-400 freighters. Overall, Azul is a loyal Airbus customer, as can be seen from the A320neo, A321neo, A330-200 and A330-900 variants, which form the backbone of the fleet alongside short and medium-haul models from Boeing and Embraer, as well as the ATR 42.
Neeleman created Azul
Since its inception in late 2008, Azul rocks the Brazilian travel market, reaching a market share of 25%+ on intra Brazilian routes. Its founder is the Brazilian-American entrepreneur, David Gary Neeleman, who also founded carriers such as Morris Air, WestJet, Jet Blue Airways, and Breeze Airways. In addition, Neeleman held a 45% stake in the Portuguese airline, TAP, but sold his equity component in 2020 to the Portuguese state.
A321Fs could up intra American cargo transports
Currently, Azul and its feeder airline, Azul Conecta, serve 160 destinations in Brazil, neighboring Argentina, and Uruguay, Curaçao (Netherlands), France, Portugal, and the United States, as well as several other locations with special bus services to the nearest local airports. So far, the company has concentrated on passenger transport, while freight has only played third or fourth fiddle. However, this could gradually change as successively more A321 P2Fs are added to the fleet.
Brazilian competitor, LEVU, received its first A321 P2F before Azul did. However, flight activities have not yet been reported. So far, the company has not provided any explanation for this situation. Instead, its management announced that an Airbus A330 will be joining the small fleet before the end of the year. LEVU is not saying who the provider is and whether the deal is based on a dry or wet lease agreement.
The growing interest of Latin American airlines in freighters for use on short and medium-haul routes, clearly shows their intention to establish cargo transport network structures within the subcontinent. At the same time, it is also playing an increasingly important role for them that the aircraft emit as few climate-damaging gases as possible. Progressive environmental programs from Avianca Cargo and LATAM Cargo are impressive proof of this trend.
