Atlas Air Orders A350Fs

Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings announced today, that they have placed a firm order for 20 A350F freighters, with the first deliveries expected for 2029. The A350F, a shortened and reinforced version of the A350-1000, with the same wings and engines, is being designed to carry about 111 tonnes (244,000+ pounds) of cargo, with a 4,700nm range. Atlas Air is the first US carrier to order the A350F.

Further information in this Atlas Air press release, and this Airbus A350F fact page.

Atlas Air's N850GT

Atlas Air's N850GT (c/n 37570, l/n 1455) is en route to HNL from ADW, via FFO [Wright Patterson AFB, Dayton, OH] as VENUS03. It will park at HIK. This 747-8F is performing training flights for US Air Force pilots who will be flying the VC-25B and the E-4C.

07 January 2026 UPDATE

VENUS03 flew down to KOA and ITO with multiple landings, before returning to HIK.

08 January 2026 UPDATE

VENUS03 departed for KOA, then returned to ADW today.

Atlas Air's N862GT

The second-to-last 747 produced, N862GT "Inspire." (c/n 67149, l/n 1573, f/n 862), is making its first stop at HNL. Atlas Air's 747-8F logo jet for freight forwarder Kuehne & Nagel is arriving from LAX as GTI8173, and will continue onto ICN as GTI9174.

Atlas Air Launches New Cargo Service To HNL

Atlas Air began round-trip 767-300F cargo service between EHU [Ezhou Huahu Airport, Ezhou, China] and HNL, via NGO. N663GT (c/n 27658, l/n 563), a 767-324ERF, is making the initial flight today. The service is scheduled to operate five times per week. N663GT was ferried from MIA on the 20th, and positioned at EHU, via NGO on the 21st. The flight code is GTI8xxx. 

Atlas Air To End Flying For Amazon Prime Air

Atlas Air announced today that their ACMI contract with Amazon Prime Air will not be renewed. The plan is for Atlas to end 767-300ERF and 737-800F service by June 2025. Atlas cites loss of revenue flying for Amazon. Atlas presently has 17 767-300ERFs and eight 737-800Fs under the Amazon Prime Air contract. The 767s will continue under the dry-lease agreement with Atlas Holdings' Titan Leasing for another three years after the initial ten-year lease ends.

Further details in this Lodestar article, and this follow-up article.

When Amazon Prime Air began flights to HNL in April 2018 from ONT, Atlas Air was the airline operating the flights. Service was weekly in the beginning, but has since progressed to daily. Eventually, LIH had flights flown by ATI, and OGG and KOA had their flights by Atlas. 

How will the move by Atlas Air affect the Hawai‘i market?  It probably won't affect Hawai‘i too much until Atlas begins phasing out its service. Currently, Atlas' Amazon Prime Air 767-300ERF flights serve KOA and OGG. GTI3750 flies from ONT to KOA, then as GTI3751 from KOA to OGG, then as GTI9858 from OGG to ONT. If anything, ATI will pick up the OGG and KOA flights.

HNL and LIH are served by Air Transport International's Amazon Prime Air flights.

Amazon Prime Air also has ACMI contracts with ABX Air, Hawaiian Airlines, and Sun Country Airlines.

Amazon Prime Air Launches OGG And KOA Service

Amazon Prime Air is commencing RIV-OGG-KOA-RIV daily service today. The flights are operated with Atlas Air 767-300ERFs, the RIV-OGG segment is flown as GTI3747, OGG-KOA as GTI3748, and KOA-RIV as GTI3749.

Today's inaugural flight is being made by N1399A (c/n 27959, l/n 609).

Atlas Air Upgrades To 747-8Fs

For their Qantas Freight wet-lease, Atlas Air is upgrading from its 747-400Fs to 747-8Fs, beginning today. The flights will continue to use HNL as a fuel stop as it flies from the US mainland to Australia.

Atlas Air Launches Flexport

Atlas Air has begun Flexport 747-400F cargo service HKG and ORD and LAX, via either HNL or ANC. 

Further information in this CH-Aviation article.

Atlas Air To Upgrade QantasFreight To 747-8Fs

Beginning in late July, Atlas Air will upgauge their QantasFreight ACMI agreement from the 747-400F to the 747-8F. Currently, there are two 747-400Fs assigned to QantasFreight, that uses the QFA flight code, but remains in the Atlas livery. The same is expected to happen with the change to the two 747-8Fs.

Prime Air's N1217A

Our thoughts, prayers, and condolences go out the families of the three members who perished in the crash of Amazon Prime Air's N1217A (c/n 25865, l/n 430, f/n 17A) as it made an approach to IAH as GTI3591 from MIA. This 767-375ERF, operated by Atlas Air, was at HNL yesterday, as Prime Air's regular GTI3598/3599 service from RIV, then onto ONT.

N1217A also made the first few service flights last April, as Amazon Prime Air began servicing HNL.

Amazon Prime Air's N1217A

Amazon Prime Air's N1217A (c/n 25865, l/n 430, f/n 17A), a 767-375ERF, made a round-trip flight from ONT as GTI3598 (and GTI3599 on the return leg), and operated by Atlas Air. The flight arrived last evening, and returned this afternoon.

We're trying to find out if this was a proving flight for Amazon Prime Air.

N1217A was previously registered as N631GT, and stopped through HNL in November 2016, on its way to QPG for freighter conversion.

Hawai‘i Bowl Team Charters

The 2017 Hawai‘i Bowl features the Fresno State Bulldogs (Mountain West Conference) versus the Houston Cougars (American Athletics Conference) on Sunday, December 24th. Both teams will be arriving on their own charter flights from their respective cities.

The Fresno State Bulldogs are chartering a Hawaiian Airlines A330-243, N393HA "Lehuakona" (msn 1422), for its team charter from Yosemite International Airport, Fresno, CA [FAT] to HNL as HAL751.

The Houston Cougars are chartering an Atlas Air 767-324ER, N645GT (c/n 27393, l/n 571) for its team charter from George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston, TX [IAH] to HNL as GTI8413.

12.24.17 Update

The Houston Cougars returned to IAH on Atlas Air's N645GT as GTI8416. The Fresno State Bulldogs, who won the game, returned to FAT on Hawaiian Airlines' N384HA "Hōkūpa‘a" (msn 1259).

Prime Air's N1321A

Amazon.com's Prime Air (operated by Atlas Air) is taking delivery of N1321A (c/n 27957, l/n 587), a 767-306ERF. It arrived from HNL from XSP, via GUM as GTI9602.

27957 was originally delivered to KLM Royal Dutch Airlines in July 1995 as PH-BZA"Blauwbrug (Blue Bridge)" (f/n ZA-001), under lease from ILFC. In April 2005, it was leased to Zoom [Z4/OOM] (Canada) as C-GZNA "City of Toronto" (f/n 103). In December 2007, it was transferred to its sister airline in the UK, Zoom Airlines UK [ZX/UKZ] as G-CZNA "City of Brighton and Hove". From March to December 2009, ILFC leased it to Flyglobespan [Y2/GSM] as G-SPNA. In May 2010, it was leased to Nordwind Airlines [N4/NWS] (Russia) as VQ-BPT, and four years later was sold to AerCap, and transferred. In June 2016, it was leased to Atlas Air as N637GT, sent for freighter conversion this past February, and acquired by the airline last month.

Atlas Air's N1361A

Atlas Air is ferrying N1361A (c/n 26265, l/n 570), a 767-31BER, from IWA to QPG as GTI9601, with stops at HNL and GUM. It's bound for freighter conversion, then reassignment to Amazon Prime Air.

26265 was originally purchased by ILFC, then leased to Asiana Airlines in March 1995 as HL7249. In September 2002, it was leased to Air Atlanta Icelandic as TF-ARB "Aida", then sub-leased to Southern Winds. In October 2003, it was leased to LAN Chile as CC-CEN. The airline re-branded as LAN Airlines in October 2004. It was then sub-leased to LAN Argentina from July 2006 to March 2008 as LV-BFD. When it returned to LAN Airlines, it was re-registered as CC-CXL. Blended Winglets were added in May 2011. In May 2014, it was sold to AerCap, and remained with LAN Airlines. In May 2016, LAN merged with Brazil's TAM to form LATAM Airlines, and CC-CXL was transferred to the Chilean subsidiary. In June 2016, it was withdrawn from service, and leased to Atlas Air as N639GT, and stored at GYR.

Middle Tennessee Team Charter

The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders football team has chartered an Atlas Air 767-300ER to make its trip from BNA to HNL, as the team will play the Hawai‘i Rainbow Warriors in the Hawai‘i Bowl on Saturday, December 24th. N661GT (c/n 30110, l/n 775), a 767-36NER, is flying as GTI8645. The team will return to BNA following the game, as GTI8646.

N631GT

N631GT (c/n 25685, l/n 430), a 767-375ER, is ferrying from MZJ to QPG (via LAX and HNL) on its way to be converted into a freighter. Owned by Atlas Air, it will have the Amazon.com "Prime Air" livery, and operate on behalf of the online retailer, and be re-registered as N1217A.

25685 was originally ordered by Canadian Airlines International, as C-GCAW, but was not taken up, and was sold to Guinness Peat Aviation in April 1992. In November 1992, it was leased to China Southern Airlines as B-2561, but was subsequently sold to GECAS in October 1996, and remained with CSN. In January 1997, it was leased to LAN Chile as CC-CRG.  In September 2004, CIT Leasing acquired this 767-375ER, and it remained under lease with LAN, until October 2014. During its time with LAN, it was transferred to LAN Argentina from December 2008 to October 2010 as LV-BTE. In January of this year, Atlas Air acquired this 767 as N258CT, and re-registered it as N631GT, but was stored at MZJ.

Atlas Air To Acquire Southern Air

AirCargoNews.net is reporting that Atlas Air's parent company, Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings will acquire rival Southern Air Holdings.

Hawaiʻi Bowl Team Charters

The 2015 Hawaiʻi Bowl features the San Diego State University Aztecs (Mountain West Conference) against the University of Cincinnati Bearcats (American Athletic Conference). Both teams arrived today from their respective cities.

The Aztecs chartered a Hawaiian Airlines 767-3CBER, N592HA "Hunakai" (c/n 33648, l/n 898), as HAL715, direct from SAN.

The Bearcats chartered an Atlas Air 767-3S1ER, N640GT, as GTI8797, which flew non-stop from CVG.

Both teams are expected to return home after the game. The Bearcats returned to CVG as GTI8800 on N640GT; and the Aztecs returned to SAN as HAL716 on N590HA.

Qantas Announces Major Cuts And Atlas Agreement

The Qantas Group announced today that they will be reducing their fleet by 50 aircraft, as well as eliminating 5,000 jobs, over the next three years.

No word about how it will affect both Qantas and JetStar flights from Australia to HNL. One thing is certain, all of Qantas' 767-338ERs will be retired by the third quarter of FY2015. No word as to what will replace the 763s when the time comes, but it will probably their A330s. On occasion, A330s have been substituted on the SYD-HNL flight (QFA3/QFA4).

The last two 737-476s will be withdrawn, and probably ferried through HNL for storage.

Further details in this World Airline News article.

In other Qantas news, Qantas and Atlas Air also extended their agreement for the two trans-Pacific ACMI cargo flights, that the latter provides. Terms were not released. One of the two daily cargo flights makes a brief fuel stop at HNL, as QFA755x.

Further details in this World Airline News article.

Sheraton Hawai‘i Bowl Charters

This year's Sheraton Hawai‘i Bowl features the Boise State Broncos against the Oregon State Beavers. The collegiate football game will be played on Christmas Eve, at 1500HST, at Hawaiian Airlines Field at Aloha Stadium.

The Broncos arrive this afternoon from BOI on an Omni Air International 767-300 team charter, OAE208.

The Beavers also arrive this afternoon from PDX on an Atlas Air 767-300 team charter, GTI8071.