Summary
- Bulgarian air cargo airline, Compass Cargo Airlines, has increased its capabilities by acquiring a Boeing 747-400FSCD freighter, complementing its existing fleet of four leased Boeing 737-800SF converted freighters.
- The arrival of the 747-400F marks a milestone for Compass Cargo Airlines' plan to establish Bulgaria as an air cargo hub.
- The used 747-400FSCD freighter, gifted by AirACT, comes with impressive capabilities and a long-term contract with DHL to haul cargo within the European Union.
Bulgarian air cargo airline Compass Cargo Airlines has decided on a massive capability boost in taking delivery of a Boeing 747-400FSCD on July 19. For Compass Cargo Airlines, this is a substantial capability increase for an airline that also has four 737-800(SF)s on hand via leasing.
Adding capability with a splash
According to Epicenter.bg on July 19, the Boeing 747-400F freighter’s arrival is part of a plan to turn Bulgaria into an air cargo hub. For Compass Cargo Airlines, the 747-400F complements four leased Boeing 737-800SF converted freighters. Compass Cargo Airlines also has a long-term contract to help DHL haul cargo in the European Union.
The 747-400F arrived with a celebration, as pictured above. Even though the used aircraft was the 747-400FSCD freighter variant with 22 years of life, the 747 freighter came with incredible capabilities for Compass Cargo Airlines. Unlike the Aeronautical Engineers converted 737-800SF freighters that can haul eleven 88"x125" AAA full height containers or pallets, the 747-400F could carry 30 such pallets on the main deck and more capabilities.
Read more Simple Flying coverage about the Boeing 747
The Bulgarian airline is owned by Turkish tycoon Daglar Cizmeci who also owns AirACT. The same AirACT, which not just gifted the 747-400F but also two 747-400(BDSF) converted freighters with the longer passenger deck and two Boeing 747-400ERFs – the extended range variant of the Boeing 747-400 freighter.
About the 747-400 Freighter, LZ-CJA
According to ch-aviation.com’s database, the new Boeing 747-400FSCD variant of the 747-400F had its first flight on September 6, 2001 – over a decade since Singapore Airlines’ March 15, 1991, order. The 747-400FSCD was delivered on September 17, 2001, and Singapore Airlines Cargo used the aircraft until March 18, 2016. The next day the aircraft was registered as TC-MCT and flying for AirACT until July 11. Then it transferred, according to ch-aviation.com's news service, to Compass Air Cargo.
The SCD in 747-400FSCD means side cargo door. The side cargo door placed on the left side between the wing root and the tail allows loads 118 inches high and 132 inches wide to slide through the side cargo door without opening the nose door.
The 747-400FSCD freighter can carry the following in the main deck, according to Atlas Air:
- 23 pallets 96 in x 125 in x 118 in
- 5 pallets 96 in x 125 in x 96 in
- 2 special pallets 96 in x 125 in x 96 in
In the lower deck, there is space for:
- 9 pallets 96 in x 125 in x 64 in
- 5 pallets 60 in x 92 in x 64 in
- 1 bulk space towards the tail
The Boeing 747-400F can take all this freight 8,250 km or 5,125 mi at a cruise speed of Mach 0.845 but can reach Mach 0.92 and 13,700 m or 45,100 ft if necessary. For this 747-400F, the airplane can do this with four Pratt & Whitney PW4056 turbofans. Finally, 126 regular 747-400Fs were built, and then 40 extended range 747-400 freighters were also made.
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Sources: Aeronautical Engineers, Atlas Air, ch-aviation.com, Epicenter.bg,