August 25 - CAL Cargo Airlines has purchased a Boeing 747-400-ERF, originally manufactured in 2007, thereby completing the upgrade of the airline's fleet to two open nose and door freighters.
"We expect the freighter to be ready for service in November," said Offer Gilboa, owner and chairman of the CAL Group. "We clearly defined a corporate strategy designed to strengthen our company and enable growth, and this new aircraft is central to achieving our goals."
CAL says that while many airlines are reducing or even terminating their freighter capacity, CAL is significantly extending flight distance capability, fuel consumption and loading capacity, adding that the upgraded fleet will support and expand CAL's specialisation in non-standard cargo such as oversize and overweight, dangerous goods, cool chain and live animals.
With these new freighters, CAL says it will be able to fly non-stop from its main hub at Liege in Belgium to Latin American and the Asia Pacific region.