Company Holds Options For Three Additional 767s
Air Transport Services Group announced Wednesday that its
leasing subsidiary, Cargo Aircraft Management, Inc. (CAM), has
delivered the first of two efficient, Boeing 767 wide body
freighters to Amerijet International, Inc.
Amerijet, which operates throughout Miami and Central America,
has been a long-term ACMI customer of ABX Air, an ATSG cargo
airline.
Under the seven-year lease agreement, Amerijet will dry-lease
two Boeing 767-232 special freighters from CAM. The second leased
freighter is scheduled to be delivered to Amerijet this spring.
Amerijet also holds options to lease three additional 767
freighters from CAM.
CAM will provide a turnkey transition for the aircraft entering
Amerijet’s operating fleet. Engines will be maintained under
CAM’s contract with Delta TechOps, a subsidiary of Delta Air
Lines, Inc. CAM arranged Boeing 767 training for Amerijet pilots
through ABX Air, which also provided maintenance manuals and
technical assistance to help Amerijet obtain 767 operating
certificate approval. Airborne Maintenance & Engineering
Services, another ATSG subsidiary, will provide ground and heavy
maintenance services, fly-away kits, component exchange services
and engineering and records service to Amerijet to support its
daily aircraft operations.
“Our Boeing 767 freighter aircraft continue to attract
attention from leading cargo airlines and other operators seeking
high quality, wide body aircraft,” ATSG CEO and President Joe
Hete said. “This arrangement with Amerijet capitalizes on the
flexibility that the ATSG family of companies offers to its
customers.”
Amerijet operates Boeing 727-200 and Boeing 767-200 aircraft
from its primary hub at Miami International Airport and provides
airfreight services from Miami and throughout Central America,
South America and the Caribbean. Its main base is Fort
Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
David Bassett, President and CEO of Amerijet, said “This
aircraft is our launch aircraft into wide body freighter
operations. It provides efficient capacity to service our core
business and the flexibility to pursue new opportunities. The ACMI
operation provided by ATSG allowed us to test-drive the performance
and economics of the aircraft, while their dry-leasing opportunity
and 360-degree support services made it easier for us to transition
the aircraft into our own operation.”
ATSG’s relationship with Amerijet has grown from 767
freighter service on an ACMI basis through ABX Air, to a CAM dry
lease and full operation by Amerijet with maintenance and support
services provided through ATSG subsidiaries. Amerijet received
options to dry lease the 767s from CAM a year ago.
“We are pursuing leasing arrangements with other operators
throughout the world, along with our traditional ACMI and logistics
support services,” Hete added. “Our goal is to provide
aviation solutions that fit the short and long term needs of our
customers.”