Brazilian passenger airline Azul is to lease two Boeing 737-400 freighters to support the rapid growth of its cargo business unit, Azul Cargo Express.
Both aircraft are expected to be delivered during the second half of this year. Details of the lessor are not available.
In December 2017, Brazil's postal service Correios and Azul announced that they were joining forces to create a logistics platform to serve the Latin American nation's e-commerce sector, allowing "the expansion of logistics services and products to locations not yet attended”.
Activities are expected to begin in the first half of 2018, after the approvals from government authorities.
Izabel Reis, director of Azul Cargo Express, said of the freighter leases: "We have decided to order these freighters because we see the need to have some dedicated narrowbody aircraft to support the growth of our cargo business.
"The B737 is the only narrowbody freighter option in the market and was chosen because of the model's low ownership cost combined with its superior capacity and unbeatable reliability track record.
"With these planes, we'll have greater versatility based on the needs of our clients, and we will also be able to offer new services, such as air charter. With no doubt, these cargo planes will support our fast expansion."
The B737-400F has capacity for up to 20 tonnes of cargo.
Brazil's largest airline by cities served added that Azul Cargo Express expects to grow its revenues by 40% this year, expanding its service offering throughout Brazil. In 2017, Azul's cargo business registered a 49% revenue growth compared to the previous year.
Azul offers 739 daily passenger flights to 105 destinations. With an operating fleet of 120 aircraft.
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