Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, a global leader in outsourced aviation logistics, is adding three Boeing 747-8 freighters to its fleet to meet strong global demand for dedicated widebody air cargo capacity, particularly for cross-border e-commerce shipping.

The three additional 747-8Fs, secured by long-term finance leases with BOC Aviation, are scheduled to enter service at the end of the third quarter of 2024, according to an official statement from Atlas Air.

“Atlas is the world’s largest operator of 747 Freighters and we are pleased to add these three 747-8Fs to our widebody fleet, following the acquisition of four 747-400Fs earlier this year and their long-term contracts with customers,” said Michael Steen, Chief Executive Officer of Atlas. “Our growth in this aircraft type underscores Atlas’ commitment to the 747 Freighter platform and the value it offers our customers, including significant payload capacity and unique nose-loading capability.”

“Demand for dedicated wide-body freighters remains strong and with our robust pipeline we will deliver these aircraft to customers on attractive long-term contracts. Through our ongoing investments in innovation and our fleet, we continue to create additional operational flexibility, provide first-class service and act as a trusted partner for our customers.”

All three aircraft will be powered by General Electric GEnx engines and delivery is scheduled for the third quarter of 2024, according to a BOC Aviation press release.

Steven Townend, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of BOC Aviation, said: “Atlas manages the world’s largest fleet of Boeing 747 freighters and is ideally positioned to partner with us in operating these latest generation aircraft. With global air cargo volumes reaching record highs, this transaction underscores our ability to provide capacity solutions for a wide range of airline customers.”

The 747-8F offers the largest cargo capacity on the market, with 20 percent more payload capacity than the 747-400F and 25 percent more capacity than the 777-200LRF, the press release continues. “The 747-8 has 16 percent lower fuel burn than the 747-400F. In addition, the 747-8 Freighter is the only brand-new freighter with front-end loader capability, meeting the long-term needs of the air cargo sector.”

Atlas has a fleet of 65 aircraft, including 17 747-8Fs, 39 747-400Fs, five 747-400 passenger aircraft and four large cargo aircraft (LCFs), the press release said.