Northern Air Cargo will furlough 18 pilots as a result of its recent decision to close down the route between Los Angeles and Honolulu operated on behalf of sister airline Aloha Air Cargo, according to a company official.
FreightWaves reported three weeks ago that Aloha Air Cargo would stop the freighter service from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Hawaii’s capital, effective June 1, because of weak demand on a highly competitive traffic lane.
Northern Air Cargo (NAC) and Aloha Air Cargo are subsidiaries of Saltchuk Resources, a diversified freight transportation, logistics and energy distribution holding company based in Seattle. Saltchuk’s leasing subsidiary, NAS Aircraft Leasing Co. LLC, recently acquired two Boeing 767-300 aircraft after they were retrofitted as cargo aircraft. NAS parked them because of the slow freight business in key markets where affiliated airlines are located.
April Spurlock, director of marketing and communications for Saltchuk Aviation, said Northern Air Cargo will put 18 pilots with less seniority on unpaid leaves of absence at the end of the week because of the LAX lane closure.
Aloha Air Cargo continues to transport freight and mail among the Hawaiian Islands using five Boeing 737-300 converted freighters and one 737-400.
Northern Air Cargo’s primary service area is Alaska. Saltchuk Aviation also includes Miami-based StratAir, an air logistics provider that charters capacity from NAC.
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