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Atlas Air inks 747 freighter contract with FedEx

Aircraft will support parcel company’s growing volumes

Atlas Air operates the largest fleet of Boeing 747 all-cargo aircraft in the world. (Photo: Atlas Air)

Atlas Air said Wednesday it is operating two Boeing 747-400 freighters for FedEx Express (NYSE: FDX) full time under a new long-term contract. The deal is in addition to the all-cargo carrier’s existing multiyear peak-season contract that provides FedEx with a minimum of five aircraft during the fourth quarter.

FedEx (NYSE: FDX) is adding supplemental airlift to keep up with growing international e-commerce volumes in its express network. During its fiscal first quarter ended Aug. 31, FedEx’s international package revenue increased 25.6% to $1.3 billion year-over-year, although airfreight revenue fell from $75 million to $47 million because of extraordinary charter activity FedEx provided at the start of the COVID pandemic in 2020 to delivery personal protective equipment and other medical supplies.

The Atlas (NASDAQ: AAWW) lease, which includes crew and maintenance, went into effect Sept. 1. The aircraft will be used on routes between Asia, Europe and FedEx’s hub in Memphis, Tennessee, Robert Kirchner, the union chief for Atlas Air pilots, told FreightWaves last week. 

He said the service has already experienced delays because of crew shortages at Atlas Air resulting from disaffected pilots leaving the company. Neither company has responded to queries about the new arrangement or specified it’s exact duration.


Atlas Air pilots have vented their displeasure with the company for not accommodating demands on compensation, scheduling and working conditions during collective bargaining, culminating in a binding contract set through arbitration that union members have criticized. Under the new deal, pilot pay scales would increase an average 30%, but workers say the increase is off a low base and that the contract fails in other regards.

“We are pleased to grow our long-term relationship with FedEx. This agreement reflects the continued strong demand for airfreight capacity, particularly in the express and e-commerce markets,” said John Dietrich, Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings president and CEO, in a statement.

The news comes on the heels of DHL Express signing a contract extension with Atlas for access to 20 all-cargo aircraft. 

Earlier this year, FedEx placed an order with Boeing for 20 additional 767 freighters.


Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch.

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Eric Kulisch

Eric is the Supply Chain and Air Cargo Editor at FreightWaves. An award-winning business journalist with extensive experience covering the logistics sector, Eric spent nearly two years as the Washington, D.C., correspondent for Automotive News, where he focused on regulatory and policy issues surrounding autonomous vehicles, mobility, fuel economy and safety. He has won two regional Gold Medals and a Silver Medal from the American Society of Business Publication Editors for government and trade coverage, and news analysis. He was voted best for feature writing and commentary in the Trade/Newsletter category by the D.C. Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. He won Environmental Journalist of the Year from the Seahorse Freight Association in 2014 and was the group's 2013 Supply Chain Journalist of the Year. In December 2022, he was voted runner up for Air Cargo Journalist by the Seahorse Freight Association. As associate editor at American Shipper Magazine for more than a decade, he wrote about trade, freight transportation and supply chains. Eric is based in Portland, Oregon. He can be reached for comments and tips at [email protected]