Purolator Inc., Canada’s largest integrated parcel carrier, will upgrade its British Columbia feeder network by replacing three aging Convair freighter aircraft with three ATR72-500 turboprop freighters to be operated by longtime partner KF Aerospace under a new 10-year contract.
KF Aerospace, which provides heavy maintenance, airframe modifications, passenger charter operations and other aviation services, has exclusively operated Purolator’s air network in British Columbia since 2015 through its Kelowna Flightcraft division. It will replace its three Convair aircraft with three ATR72-500 aircraft – two configured for accepting containers and one bulk loader.
KF Aerospace said the fleet modernization will deliver improved fuel efficiency and more flexibility in handling diverse cargo needs. It also has the potential to help Purolator expand into other markets. KF Aerospace will oversee acquiring and converting the ATR72-500s, with one conversion already near completion at KF’s main Kelowna maintenance facility.
“The addition of the ATR72-500F aircraft will enhance range, capacity and efficiency, ensuring that Purolator’s mission of on-time reliability is extended well into the future,” said KF Aerospace CEO Tracy Medve in a news release.
Purolator’s network in British Columbia connects Victoria and Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, as well as Kelowna, Kamloops and Prince George with Purolator’s hub at Vancouver International Airport. Purolator, which is mostly owned by Canada Post, partners with Cargojet, Air Canada, and other commercial airlines and regional carriers to move packages by air across the country.
The three Convair 580s operated by KF Aerospace for Purolator were manufactured in the early 1950s, making them at least 70 years old.
Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch.
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