Parent company deploys two cargo jets to region
Air cargo charter Magma Aviation, which relies on airline contractors to operate its five Boeing 747-400 jumbo jets, is adding two narrowbody freighter aircraft to the fleet to serve customers in the Middle East and Africa.
The cargo management company, headquartered in Gatwick, England, recently announced the appointment of Peter Kerins as CEO. He replaced Conor Brannigan, who stepped down July 31 to join New York-based cargo airline Atlas Air as vice president of strategy. Magma Aviation said in late July it had acquired two converted freighters – an Airbus A321 and a Boeing 737-800 – and based them in Dubai.
Magma Aviation is part of the sprawling aviation conglomerate Avia Solutions Group based in Dublin and with roots in Lithuania. It is part of Chapman Freeborn, a large air charter broker Avia acquired in 2019.
Magma Aviation DMCC is the name of the new aircraft marketing company established in Dubai. Keinyte previously was CEO of Iceland-based Bluebird Nordic, another Avia Solutions company that closed its doors in April after business slowed during a lengthy freight recession that hurt all carriers to varying degrees before easing late last year.
Keinyte said Magma’s geographic expansion was made to meet growing demand from freight forwarders and charter brokers for air transport in the Middle East, Africa, Europe and the Indian subcontinent. The aircraft are already operating on an ad hoc basis.
Few companies operate both the A321 and 737-800 passenger-to-freighter aircraft. Airlines tend to prefer one type or the other for operational and fleet efficiency reasons.
