Express carrier partner ASL Aviation buys 747 freighters from lessor
Dublin-based ASL Aviation Holdings has purchased two Boeing 747-400 freighters to maintain long-haul cargo consistency while expanding its presence in the Australian market.
ASL Aviation Holdings, a logistics firm based in Ireland, has acquired two Boeing 747-400 freighter jets that were previously being utilized under lease agreements. According to FreightWaves, the purchase from Seattle-based lessor Altavair allows the company's Belgian subsidiary to maintain its current long-haul flight capacity. A spokesperson for the firm, Saoirse Claffey, stated that the acquisition was intended to avoid an "interruption in long-haul air transportation services" after the previous owner opted to sell the jumbo jets.
The transaction coincides with a broader strategic shift as the company grows its footprint in Australia and New Zealand. ASL is currently moving several narrowbody cargo planes from its European fleet to its Australian division to bolster regional operations. This expansion supports existing contracts with major logistics entities like FedEx and Qantas Freight. The company is currently managing the regulatory and staffing requirements necessary to integrate these additional aircraft into its Southern Hemisphere service network.
Operating a total fleet of 150 aircraft, ASL Aviation provides specialized transport for global e-commerce and express delivery giants including Amazon and UPS. The group maintains cargo subsidiaries across Europe and Asia, alongside a passenger service in South Africa. The recent move into the Australian market followed the 2023 purchase of Pionair, and the company has since begun utilizing facilities at the new Western Sydney International Airport to facilitate further growth in its Pacific freight operations.
Editorial Desk — Trade Flow Insight. Reporting and market notes compiled by the Trade Flow Insight editorial team.
Related coverage
FMCSA’s Elison addresses Motus again, still no date on full repair
Chattanooga–It hasn’t been that long–less than a month–since Jesse Elison spoke to an industry event and addressed the issue of the beleaguered new Motus registration system. The deputy administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) spoke Monday at FreightWaves’ Broker Compliance Symposium, one of two one-day sessions that serve as a prelude to the larger Future of Freight Festival here that begins Tuesday The biggest news in his presentation was really no news: after saying at the National Motor Freight Traffic Association in early October that FMCSA was “weeks away”
Mexican truckers launch national strike over highway security, rising costs
Mexican trucking companies launched an indefinite nationwide strike Monday protesting highway insecurity, cargo theft, extortion and rising operating costs, with demonstrations planned in major freight hubs along the U.S.-Mexico border. The strike, organized by the National Chamber of Freight Transportation (CANACAR) and other trucking organizations, calls for demonstrations across Mexico, including Nuevo Laredo, Reynosa, Monterrey, Tijuana and Mexico City. The protests could disrupt freight transportation through some of North America’s busiest commercial corridors, particularly in Nuevo Lare
Trump Administration Unveils Seafood Strategy to Boost U.S. Fishing Fleet and Domestic Production
The Trump administration on Friday unveiled its America First Seafood Strategy, outlining plans to strengthen the U.S. commercial fishing industry through regulatory reform, investment in fishing vessels and shoreside infrastructure,...