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Cargo Three
IATA ICAO Call sign
C3 CTW THIRD CARGO
Founded1991; 33 years ago (1991)
(as Cargo Three Panama)
HubsTocumen International Airport
Secondary hubsMiami International Airport
Fleet size1
Parent companyJMB Aviation Group[1]
HeadquartersPanama City, Panamá
Key peopleEric Andrews (President)
Websitewww.cargothree.com

Cargo Three Inc., stylized as CARGOTHREƎ, is a Panamanian cargo airline headquartered in Panama City, Panama.

History

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Early operations

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Cargo Three was registered in 1991 in Public Deed No. 520 of the 9th Notary of the Circuit of Panama with Germinal Sarasqueta as its president.[2] During its first phase until the early 2000s, the airline operated flights to destinations such as Miami and Bogotá with a fleet consisting of a Boeing 707 and Convair CV-240 aircraft.[3] The airline suspended its operations for unknown reasons in mid-2000.

A former PanAir Cargo Boeing 727-200F in storage at Tocumen International Airport in 2011

In 2003, Cargo Three underwent a rebranding process, returning to the skies operating under the brand PanAir Cargo, also operating six Convair CV-240s, in the CV-580F variant, in addition to a Convair C-131 Samaritan and a Boeing 727-200F.[4] In late 2010, for the second time, PanAir Cargo suspended its operations for unknown reasons.[5]

After a two-year hiatus under the management of new owners in a mixed partnership between Panamanian citizen Blanca Vasquez (51%) and Venezuelan Daniel Rangel (49%), PanAir Cargo resumed its operations with the incorporation of a Boeing 727-200F, registration HP-1754CTW,[6] flying from its base at Tocumen International Airport to destinations in South and Central America. The aircraft was leased from the Canadian Matata Group, which subsequently filed a lawsuit against the airline in a Canadian court for non-payment of the aircraft's lease. In 2015, the airline suspended its operations for the third time.[7]

Restructuring

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In 2019, JMB Aviation Group, owner of Venezuelan airline Transcarga International Airways, acquired a 49% stake in PanAir Cargo, announcing the resumption of operations with an Airbus A300B4-200F and the intention to rename it Transcarga Panama.[8] However, due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, these plans were postponed.

In 2021, in the wake of the economic sanctions imposed on Venezuela in May 2019, as an alternative to meet the demand for air cargo that was transported by Transcarga, which was banned from flying to the United States, JMB Aviation Group resumed plans to launch the Panamanian airline under the original Cargo Three brand.[9][10]

Initially, the airline's intention was to begin operations with the Airbus A300, which received the Panamanian registration HP-1755CTW and the colors of its new operator at MRO Mexicana, at Mexico City International Airport.[11][12] The airline received its air operator's certificate (AOC) issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of Panama in early April 2021 and established Tocumen International Airport as its base of operations.[13]

For unknown reasons, the A300 was never delivered. The project remained dormant until 2023, when it announced its intention to enter the market, with the acquisition of three retired McDonnell Douglas MD-10F from FedEx, with the expectation of starting flights in South America such as Buenos Aires, Lima, Santiago, Campinas and Manaus, to Miami, through the development of its hub in Panama City in the second half of 2023.[14]

However, the plan was postponed to the second half of 2024 for operational reasons. Cargo Three also has plans to establish a new hub that will connect Panama City with Caracas, Barcelona, Maracaibo, Porlamar and Valencia in Venezuela, with flights expected to be operated by Transcarga.[15]

On February 2, 2024, the first MD-10-30F, previously operated by FedEx (N311FE), was transferred for maintenance at Ernesto Cortissoz International Airport, in Barranquilla. It was given the same registration as the former A300. On August 5, the aircraft was officially handed over to its new operator and transferred to its new home in Panama City.[16][17]

Fleet

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Current fleet

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Cargo Three's fleet consists of the following aircraft (as of September 2024):[18]

Cargo Three fleet
Aircraft In
service 		Orders Notes
McDonnell Douglas MD-10-30F 1 2
Total 1 2

Former fleet

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Cargo Three former fleet[19]
Aircraft Total Years of
operation 		Notes
Boeing 707-300C 1 1993–1994
Boeing 727-200F 2 2009–2015 One stored in Panama City
One broken up in Maracaibo
Convair C-131 Samaritan 1 2006-2010 Broken up in Panama City
Convair CV-440 1 1991–1993 Crashed in Bogotá[20]
Convair CV-580 5 1991–2010 Broken up in Panama City

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Company". Cargo Three. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  2. ^ "Historia". Autoridad de Aeronáutica Civil de Panamá (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-09-16.
  3. ^ "Cargo Three Panama aircraft photos". AirHistory.net. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
  4. ^ "AMERICAS: PanAir Cargo partners ECS in 20 countries". Payload Asia. 2010-02-01. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
  5. ^ "Cargo Three Panama (ii)". The World's Airlines history. 2023-03-10. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
  6. ^ Jaeger, Thomas (2012-11-20). "PanAir Cargo resuming operations with B727-200Adv. freighter". ch-aviation. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
  7. ^ Sipinski, Dominik (2021-09-16). "Panama's Cargo Three secures tentative US service consent". ch-aviation. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
  8. ^ Jaeger, Thomas (2019-09-16). "Transcarga Panama plans launch within six months". ch-aviation. Retrieved 2024-09-16.
  9. ^ Kurmanaev, Anatoly (2019-05-15). "U.S. Suspends Passenger and Cargo Flights to Venezuela". The New York Times. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  10. ^ Martins, Carlos (2024-05-26). "Para contornar sanções, aérea venezuelana coloca jato MD-10 com 'placa' do Panamá". AeroIN (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  11. ^ Basseto, Murilo (2021-05-17). "Nova empresa latina com avião Airbus A300 de carga é aprovada para voar". AeroIN (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  12. ^ Gil, Ingrid (2021-05-17). "Nace una nueva aerolínea de carga en Panamá: Cargo Three". Transponder 1200 (in Spanish). Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  13. ^ Lee, Jeff (2021-05-14). "Cargo Three obtains Panamanian AOC". Cargo Facts. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  14. ^ Sipinski, Dominik (2023-03-09). "Panama's Cargo Three to launch MD-10 ops in late 2Q23". ch-aviation. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  15. ^ Sena, Gastón (2024-05-24). "Enduring MD-10: Panama Cargo Airline to Add Three Aircraft". Aviacionline. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  16. ^ "Empresa panameña presenta su nuevo avión de carga". Panamá América (in Spanish). 2024-08-06. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  17. ^ Martinez Garbuno, Daniel (2024-08-05). "Panama's Cargo Three takes delivery of first MD-10-30(F)". ch-aviation. Retrieved 2024-09-14.
  18. ^ "Cargo Three Fleet Details and History". Planespotters.net. 16 August 2024. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
  19. ^ "Operators - Cargo Three Inc". Rzjets.net. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
  20. ^ "Accident Convair CV-440-11 HP-1200CTH, Saturday 20 February 1993". Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved 16 September 2024.
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