A New A350F or 777-8F Order Nears

Mexican cargo carrier mas is considering the next-generation Airbus A350F and Boeing 777-8F as possible options for a larger operation in the 2030s.

The cargo operator wants not just to add more widebodies in the short term, but by the 2030s to overhaul its fleet mix significantly and ensure some of the short-term solutions are replaced with newer jets.

In a report by Air Cargo News, Chief Executive Robert van de Weg said near-term fleet growth is possible, with one or two widebody freighters of interest, but the biggest constraint remains availability at this stage.

Demand for widebody freighters has remained strong throughout the decade. While outright purchases are typically the preferred route, availability has become nearly impossible, and over at the leasing market it’s not much better.

For mas, this leaves them with the desire to grow, but the inability to source the jets to make this possible, a battle as demand remains present but capturing that demand remains difficult.

Van de Weg has stated that keeping unit costs under control is vital, with inflation remaining elevated and not showing any signs of reaching comfortable levels; the company needs to build an operation that can withstand those pressures. Still, to make that happen, expansion has to occur.

Airbus A330 Freighters to support near-term growth

mas currently leverages the Airbus A330 freighter family with a mix of A330-300P2Fs and A330-200Fs, helping drive the business and its scheduled services across not just the Americas through charter work via its Galistair affiliate, as well as four weekly flights to China.

The scheduled network has been centred on Felipe Ángeles International Airport near Mexico City and enabled links to Los Angeles and other points. The expansion has been most notable over recent years, with cities being added where demand has justified it, and capacity has been available.

While new cities remain of interest, mas has instead expressed its desire to expand frequencies to existing markets that have proven to be profitable. The relatively small A330 fleet has supported the operation, but the current fleet is not large enough to support further network growth.

The A330 is therefore considered the short- to medium-term solution. mas views the aircraft as having a strong enough payload and range for the Americas, and therefore selecting trans-Pacific missions with the jet is also possible.

Keeping just the A330 family during volatile times has also delivered benefits through fleet commonality and lower operational complexity. But while the business searches for more A330s, this is only a short-term solution. Looking to the 2030s, however, management is considering newer options.

The A350F and 777-8F enter the conversation

mas’ future lies in two dedicated freighters from Airbus and Boeing, with launch expected by the end of the decade. The A350F is undergoing ground testing ahead of its first flight, while the 777-8F remains at an earlier stage of development.

These new jets, with the A350F expected to launch first, represent the first new-generation production freighters expected to enter the market. Once delivered, operators such as mas, which have been reliant on older jets, will have the chance to adopt new aircraft to dramatically lower operating costs.

Airbus is targeting certification and first delivery of the A350F by the end of 2027, despite a recent delay to the first flight. The 777-8F is likely to enter service after the A350F, as much of its progress rests on the 777-9 passenger model, which has battled seven years of certification delay itself.

Neither of these two new dedicated freighters is seen as the short-term answer for mas, but they are the future. Both aircraft are currently under consideration, and a move needs to be made before the decade concludes, as strong demand puts delivery slots at risk, just as has been seen with narrowbody and widebody passenger planes.

While converted 777s could provide a short- to medium-term bridge to the A350F or 777-8F, as Emirates has done with some of its older 777-300ERs, it’s an investment that may not be needed if orders for the A350F or 777-8F materialise.