ASL Airlines Australia is set to add another Boeing 737-800BCF to its freighter fleet, with VH-AZ4 due to arrive in Brisbane on September 19 after a ferry flight of about 18,000 kilometers from Shannon, Ireland.
The plane left Shannon on Thursday and is bound for Australia via Sofia, New Delhi, Kuala Lumpur and Lombok before arriving in Brisbane. ASL Airlines Australia said the delivery required close co-ordination between teams from ASL Airlines Australia, ASL Group, ASL Ireland and Southern Cross International.
The operation also included securing the necessary regulatory approvals and overflight and landing clearances across several Flight Information Regions along the aircraft’s route.
The VH-AZ4 is only 19.6 years old, but it has a long operational history. The aircraft previously had been a passenger aircraft of Shenzhen Airlines and was converted to freighter configuration in 2023. Until recently, it was a converted operated by ASL Airlines Ireland for SolitAir under registration EI-HRB.
The arrival of VH-AZ4 is a further step in ASL Airlines Australia’s plans to grow its freighter footprint throughout the region. The carrier took delivery of its first 737-800BCF, VH-CYK, in early 2024. A second aircraft, MSN 28595, will follow in August 2025.
The arrival of the second freighter cleared the way for ASL Airlines Australia to launch dedicated trans-Tasman cargo services for FedEx between Australia and New Zealand from late September 2025.
The airline, a subsidiary of Ireland-based ASL Aviation Holdings, operates from Sydney Bankstown and has already announced plans for further expansion of its Australia-New Zealand operation. It has announced plans to add four more 737-800BCFs, with some of those planes likely to be pulled from ASL’s European fleet.
The carrier is also pursuing a broader expansion opportunity with a conditional agreement to buy Airwork Group’s freight business in Australia and New Zealand. The deal, however, still has to pass due diligence and regulatory hurdles.
ASL Airlines Australia, previously known as Pionair, changed its name after ASL Aviation Holdings bought the company in 2023. The airline operates BAe 146-200 and BAe 146-300 aircraft and provides ACMI cargo services, mainly for Qantas Freight, and also its expanding fleet of 737-800BCF freighters.
The arrival of VH-AZ4 continues ASL Airlines Australia’s development of its freighter fleet as the operator advances its regional expansion strategy across Australia and New Zealand.
