YOU STILL HAVE TO PAY THE BILLS

by Bob Walsh

The Global SuperTanker is a Boeing 747 converted as a fire fighting plane.  It is the largest such aircraft.  These things cost money.  The private firm that owns the plane expects to make a profit from it.  Alterna Capital Partners LLC has not been happy with the lack of return on their considerable investment.

So, the may sell it and convert it to flying cargo, which is where the money is right now.  Moving PPE and medical hardware around the world in response to the Covid-19 plague.  

The plane has been flying in it's current configuration for five years.

The investment firm that owns it will be happy to sell it to somebody who wants to continue to use it as a fire fighter, but if they get a better offer from an air freight company, that is the way they are going.  The bottom line is the bottom line.

If I remember correctly the next largest fire fighting tanker is a converted DC-10, which is still pretty decent size but significantly smaller than the 747.