Boeing on Monday said UPS has ordered eight Boeing 767 Freighters, bringing to 108 the number of 767s under contract with the world’s second-largest cargo carrier. UPS expects to begin taking delivery of the new airplanes in 2025, while plans call for 767-300 Boeing Converted Freighters to begin entering service in late 2023. This purchase builds on UPS’s order for nineteen 767 Freighters in December of last year.
“The additional 767s will help us continue to deliver what matters to UPS customers around the world,” said UPS executive vice president Nando Cesarone. “This is a very versatile aircraft that we operate across every region of the globe.”
Air cargo has played a crucial role in maintaining global trade since the start of the Covid pandemic. The International Air Transport Association estimates that global air cargo revenue in 2021 more than doubled the revenue generated in pre-pandemic 2019.
According to Boeing’s 2022 Commercial Market Outlook forecast, carriers will require 2,795 more dedicated freighters over the next 20 years, including 940 new widebodies, 555 widebody converted freighters, and 1,300 standard-body conversions. The company believes the global freighter fleet will grow to 3,610 airplanes by 2041, up from 2,250 today.
Based on the 767-300ER passenger jet, the 767 Freighter carries up to 52.4 tonnes of revenue cargo with intercontinental range, serving long-haul, regional, and feeder markets. UPS became the launch customer for the 767 Freighter in 1995. The carrier now operates 238 Boeing cargo airplanes, including the 747, 757, 767, and MD-11.
