UPS has placed an order for 19 new Boeing 767 Freighters as the continuing surge in global air cargo demand shows no sign of slowing, the manufacturer said Tuesday. The deal adds to Boeing’s record-breaking year for freighter sales, which included firm orders for 80 new widebody cargo airplanes and orders for more than 80 Boeing Converted Freighters.

UPS plans to take delivery of the latest batch of new freighters between 2023 and 2025, by which time projections show that the air cargo business will have grown by an average of 4 percent a year.

“The Boeing 767 is the most versatile aircraft we operate,” said UPS U.S. operations president Nando Cesarone. "Our plan to purchase 19 aircraft and take delivery between 2023 and 2025 aligns with the strategy and capital expenditure forecast shared during our June 2021 Investor and Analyst Day. It also supports our sustainability efforts by making our fleet more efficient and improving reliability.”

Based on the 767-300ER passenger jet, the 767 Freighter carries up to 52.4 tonnes of revenue cargo with intercontinental range, serving as what Boeing calls a flexible platform for long-haul, regional, and feeder markets. UPS became the launch customer for the 767 Freighter in 1995 and since then has ordered a total of 91 of the aircraft.  

Boeing's 2021 Commercial Market Outlook forecasts an annual increase of 4 percent in freight tonne kilometers over the next 20 years and a 70 percent growth in the global freighter fleet by 2040.