Recent Projects

Freighter Aircraft

• Routinely provide to aircraft manufacturers, conversion houses, and aircraft lessors, specialized information on freighter market demand, including for the newest factory freighters and passenger-to-freighter conversion programs, such as the: 737NG, A320/321, and A330.
• Forecasts annually the number and types of freighter aircraft in the global fleet over the next twenty years. More information on CFC’s Twenty-Year Freighter Forecast can be found here.
• Quantified the market requirements for feeder freighter aircraft with payloads of 1-7 tonnes for manufacturers and conversion houses evaluating the opportunities and risks of developing new aircraft programs, and of investing in freighter conversion programs for existing passenger models.
• Estimated for equipment manufacturers the market demand for narrowbody and widebody cargo loading systems and freighter aircraft safety equipment (e.g., barrier nets, cargo door actuators, and fire control systems).

Air Freight Market Analysis

• Provided air freight demand and competition intelligence to aircraft manufacturers and airlines, including specialized regional reports.
• Identified airlines around the world suitable to ACMI lease or dry lease widebody freighter aircraft.

Business Plan and Strategic Assessment

• Assisted an express carrier in evaluating its options for renewal of its ACMI agreement.
• Analyzed the economics of the potential acquisition of an air cargo airline, including post-purchase opportunities to rationalize the combined air network.

Airports

• Analyzed regional air cargo flows for a client country’s government and commercial stakeholders.
• Examined potential air freight commodities and volumes to improve air service marketing efforts of an underutilized airport. Engaged with local and foreign government officials, shippers, forwarders, and airlines to promote new service.
• Compared airport air freight transportation costs on an aircraft-by-aircraft basis to provide to the client airport’s prospective Asia-Pacific-based cargo airline customers a cost justification for relocating existing central U.S. freighter flights to the client’s airport.
• Explored the possible effects of the purchase of TNT (by each of UPS and FedEx, in separate projects) on European air express networks and airport hubs.

E-commerce

• Provide clients with the tools to help understand and capture the rapid international growth of e-commerce and its transformative effects on the demand for air cargo and freighter aircraft.
• Publish an annual e-commerce report, more information about which can be found here.