Mexico is set to have a new cargo carrier, Awesome Cargo. This airline startup was introduced this week; it will operate out of the Felipe Ángeles International Airport (NLU) with an Airbus A330-200PTF aircraft.

A new airline operator

The Felipe Ángeles International Airport now has a new carrier, Awesome Cargo. This airline received its first aircraft, an Airbus A330-200PTF, leased from Air Lease Corporation this week.

Last year, Mexico’s civil aviation agency granted the concession to provide air cargo transportation services to Awesome Cargo. In a statement, the Mexican government said that this new carrier was born with great expectations of growth and expansion both in the domestic and international markets. The airline expects to grow, particularly in the Latin American and Asia-Pacific regions.

This company is the first Mexican carrier to launch flights directly to the country’s newest airport, the Felipe Ángeles. On its website, Awesome Cargo says it will provide Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, and Insurance (ACMI) services, as well as charter and general cargo operations, transporting cargo, pharma, live animals, and perishables.

Operating in the Felipe Ángeles

This year, cargo airlines operating to Mexico City International Airport reached an agreement with the government to move cargo operations to the new Felipe Ángeles International. The existing airlines will take up to four months to move to the new hub; meanwhile, Awesome Cargo will launch operations there.

The Mexican efforts to move all cargo operations to NLU were the latest attempt to increase the number of weekly services from the Felipe Ángeles, the pet project of the current government.

Awesome Cargo’s first plane

The plane Awesome Cargo received has a registration number EI-EJI (this will change eventually to have a Mexican registration). It is an Airbus A330-202 that had its first flight on March 29th, 2011. Before operating with Awesome Cargo, the widebody jet only had one previous customer. It was flown by Alitalia between 2011 and 2021, according to data from ch-aviation.

The aircraft is currently stored in the Felipe Ángeles Airport. It flew from Naples to Mexico City, with a stopover in Halifax (YHZ) between February 6th and 7th. It already has the livery of Awesome Cargo, as can be seen in the photos uploaded by Airbus President in Latin America and the Caribbean, Arturo Barreira.

The A330-200P2F program

The A330-P2F (passenger to freighter) program takes on the large number of passenger A330s still in service worldwide. According to Airbus, the A330-200P2F is optimized for higher-density freight and longer-range performance. There’s also a larger A330-300P2F (pictured in this article) which is particularly suited for integrators and express carriers, resulting from its high volumetric payload capability with lower-density cargo.

According to ch-aviation, there are only nine A330-200P2Fs currently worldwide. These planes are operated by Air Belgium (two), EgyptAir (three), Mexico’s mas (two), and Awesome Cargo (one). There are more A330-300P2Fs out there, with 15 aircraft operating with six carriers (including Air Hong Kong, ASL Airlines Ireland, EAT Leipzig, galistair, MNG Airlines, and Titan Airways).

Do you like the livery and name of Mexico’s new cargo airline? Let us know in the comments below.