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West Atlantic (United Kingdom) (NPT, Nottingham East Midlands) will retire two B737-300(F)s and three B737-400(SF)s after the carrier’s largest British customer, Royal Mail, announced plans to cut its postal flight network significantly. The carrier hinted at adding A321s as it moves forward.
The airline’s spokesperson told The Loadstar that it will have “a smaller UK operation than before, as we have been unable to replace the losses caused by the Royal Mail network revisions.” West Atlantic continues to evaluate which aircraft to retire. The airline said it would return the surplus aircraft or sell them. One B737-300(F) is due to be parted out.
ch-aviation research shows that West Atlantic (UK) retired the first two B737-400(SF)s, G-JMCK (msn 28701) and G-JMCZ (msn 24126), in mid-June 2024. The aircraft are currently parked at Miami Opa-Locka and Marana, respectively, and are both due to be de-registered from the UK imminently.
The carrier continues to operate six more B737-400(SF)s, including one in long-term storage at Nottingham East Midlands. One of the aircraft is operating on behalf of DHL Air, while the other five ply Royal Mail nightly charters. The carrier’s B737 Classic fleet also comprises three B737-300(F)s, of which just one is currently flying for Royal Mail and the other two are operating other cargo charters.
West Atlantic (UK) also operates two B737-800(BCF)s, both flying for Royal Mail, and three ATR72-200(F)s (one in maintenance at Madrid Barajas and two flying for Royal Mail).
The carrier said that after the cuts in the Royal Mail network it had limited opportunities to maintain the same sized operation in the UK. “Opportunities for regional cargo operators with a UK registry have been severely restricted since Brexit, and opportunities we are able to capitalise on are few,” it said.
West Atlantic said it would focus on the B737-800 and A321 fleets going forward. Its Swedish AOC, West Atlantic Sweden (T2, Malmö), currently operates one B737-800(BCF) and one B737-800(BDSF), as well as a B757-200(PCF) under a CMI contract with FarCargo. It does not currently have any Airbus aircraft nor has it disclosed plans to add any.
However, sister carrier Swiftair (WT, Madrid Barajas) recently inducted its first A321-200(P2F). Both carriers are owned by LUSAT holding.
The British postal operator, which has been heavily loss-making recently, will halve its domestic air mail network to just 18 flights a day. It justified the reduction by both the need to save costs and reduce carbon emissions. The first round of 11 routes was cut in early July. It will be followed by another three routes on July 20 and four more in early 2025. Royal Mail will continue to charter flights to connect its Nottingham East Midlands hub with destinations where other means of transport are not feasible for next-day delivery, such as Belfast International, Glasgow International, and Edinburgh.
Royal Mail also announced that it would exit its long-standing rail freight business on October 10. DB Cargo UK currently operates 15 dedicated trainsets for the company. The flights and trains will be replaced by an expanded road transport network, which is more flexible, cheaper, and more reliable.
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