N131UP

This airframe, registered as N131UP, is an Airbus Industrie-built freighter completed in 2001 with manufacturer serial number 815. It is owned by United Parcel Service Co and is recorded as a U.S.-registered asset based in Louisville, KY, US, where the operator maintains a hub for its cargo operations. The aircraft bears the type designation Airbus A300F4-622R (A300-600F) and is listed in civil registers under the US registry. As a main-deck palletized freighter configured for express cargo, this airframe has been integrated into the owner’s medium-range intra-continental freight network.

The freighter is fitted as a main-deck palletized cargo configuration accommodating approximately 15 pallets on the main deck, with lower-deck capability for LD3 containers, enabling a mixed pallet/container load strategy typical of integrator operations. Typical mission profiles for this airframe include medium- to long-range scheduled and ad hoc all-cargo flights within a continental network where its stated 4,050 nm range and 450 kts cruise allow efficient point-to-point logistics missions. Based at Louisville, KY, the aircraft operates within United Parcel Service Co’s hub-and-spoke structure, supporting night-time sortation flows and daytime feeder services; maintenance considerations prioritize freighter-cycle airframe inspections and cargo-handling system upkeep consistent with heavy utilization.

The Airbus A300F4-622R (A300-600F) occupies a niche as a medium widebody freighter offering substantial main-deck pallet capacity and lower-deck container flexibility, competing historically with types such as the Boeing 767 freighter derivatives in integrator and freight-operator fleets. With twin Pratt & Whitney PW4158 powerplants delivering 58,000 lbf each and a service ceiling to 40,000 ft, the model remains relevant for operators needing robust payload-range performance without the larger size of newer widebodies. Market considerations for this airframe type include demand from cargo operators with established freighter operations, ongoing maintenance planning for aging airframes, and resale opportunities tied to franchise operator fleets and specialist freighter buyers.