Originally Posted by
Elevation
I saw Airstan is flying at least one of the old, Kalitta 200s. I wonder if they're getting parts from Iran Air, Mahan Air or something?
Not that it really matters. Just something I wonder about while reading the news.
Aerostan (callsign "Big Shot"), out of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, actually have two 742Fs operating: EX-47001 and EX-47002, both, as you say, ex-Kalitta. You can tell this because it's the same livery with the gold removed and replaced with white. Looks nice.
Geo Sky, out of Tbilisi, Georgia, is flying two 742Fs with RR engines (ex-British). 4L-GEO and 4L-GEN.
GMF AeroAsia in Jakarta (CGK) is maintaining these and a few other 747 Classic freighters (as well as the now-8 744 freighters resurrected by AeroTransCargo; GMF's 2-bay 747 hangar has been packed for like 18 months). They just put a snazzy new livery on one of the GeoSky aircraft, 4L-GEN, after a 2-month C-check.
https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/10281723
Those two carriers are flying the crap out of these planes right now, including a good bit of transatlantic work by Aerostan to South America. Somehow, they're keeping them flying.
Another carrier, Transaviaexport, is flying a single 743F, ex-Atlas, now EW-465TQ. It has been at GMF AeroAsia since the end of July.