Air Canada Cargo has recently leased two Boeing 767-300 freighters to Ethiopian Airlines. According to a report published in Cargo Facts, these are production-built Boeing freighters with MSN numbers 67023 and 67024.
The aircraft will be operated by Ethiopian Cargo in the future. Both aircraft, MSN 67023 and MSN 67024 are relatively new, with MSN 67023 being 3 years old and MSN 67024 being 2.9 years old, according to data from Planespotters.net.
Air Canada withdrew both aircraft from service in April this year, after which they were stored at Kansas City International Airport. Of the two, MSN 67023 arrived in Addis Ababa on December 6, flying from Kansas City with a stopover in Liege.
Air Canada Cargo currently operates a fleet of six converted Boeing 767-300Fs. Ethiopian Cargo, the cargo arm of Ethiopian Airlines, has a fleet of 18 aircraft, including 4 Boeing 737-800Fs, 3 Boeing 767-300Fs, and 11 Boeing 777Fs, according to data from Planespotters.net. The addition of these two Boeing 767-300Fs will increase the airline’s fleet to 20 aircraft.
Air Canada announced the acquisition of two new, factory-built Boeing 767-300 freighters alongside its first-quarter 2022 results. These two aircraft were scheduled for delivery in 2022 and were in addition to the eight 767-300s that were being converted for cargo operations.
However, a slump in the air cargo market led the airline to reduce its fleet expansion plans. Despite a recovery in air cargo demand starting in late 2023, Air Canada decided to phase out the new freighters it had added within a year of delivery. The airline had also planned to induct two Boeing 777 freighters, having placed an order for them in August 2022. However, in September of the same year, it decided not to take delivery of the aircraft.