Gol and Mercado Livre, an e-commerce platform operating in Latin America, presented this Tuesday their first Boeing 737-800BCF (Boeing Converted Freighter), which will be used to speed up parcel deliveries in Brazil.
The aircraft, with registration PS-GFA, will enter service from September, mainly in regions such as the Northeast, Midwest and North of Brazil, which depend on air transport to reduce delivery times for express parcels.
“The first flights will be destined for the cities of Fortaleza (CE), São Luís (MA) and Teresina (PI), where the current period of 4 days will drop to just 1, considering the loads stored in Fulfillment. We reduce delivery time by up to 80%. This is the realization of our purpose of fast delivery and democratization of commerce throughout the country”, said Fernando Yunes, senior vice president and leader of Mercado Livre in Brazil.
Gol ordered the conversion to freighters of six 737-800 jets that were used to carry passengers. In addition to the PS-GFA, two more aircraft will be delivered in 2022. The remaining three will join the fleet by the third quarter of 2023 – all planes are leased by AerCap.
The agreement between Gol and Mercado Livre, whose livery is displayed on the 737, also provides for six more cargo aircraft by 2025.
“This aircraft symbolizes the beginning of a new phase for GOL and for GOLLOG. This business model, unprecedented for the Company, could not have a better partner, leader in the e-commerce market in America”, said Celso Ferrer, president of the airline.
The Boeing 737-800BCF can carry up to 24 tons of cargo, which are loaded through a wide door at the front of the wings or in the holds of the aircraft. There are 185 m³ of volume available for payload.
At full load, the 737 freighter can fly up to 1,995 nm (3,700 km) nonstop.
