Modern Logistics’ Koga on international expansion

Brazil-based Modern Logistics will soon deploy its first 737-800BCF to help grow the company’s international presence. The 2004-vintage aircraft (33566, ex-Ryanair) arrived in October and has been undergoing certification with the Brazilian Civil Aviation Authority. “We are in the final process with the regulator, and if everything goes well in the next three to four weeks, we expect to have the final certification by the beginning of February, before Carnival season in Brazil,” Modern Logistics Chief Executive Cristiano Koga says in this week’s episode of the “Cargo Facts Connect” podcast. “This is a very important milestone for us because we expect also the volumes to grow after the summertime vacation, which is taking place now in Brazil [until] the second half of February.” Modern expects a second -800BCF later this year and plans to operate the two NGs alongside its Classics. The NGs will focus more on cross-border flights, but Classics can also be used on the short hauls, Koga said.  “For example, for Uruguay and Argentina, we can fly with the Classics, but the NGS are much more effective for international flights and we’re going to dedicate that fleet primarily to the international routes and the Classics will not only be for domestic, but also charters that we have on a regular basis,” he said. Koga, who was appointed in May 2023, said Modern has a market share of approximately 27% in Brazil but aims to have a double-digit share in other South American markets. “We have very ambitious and aggressive plans to go overseas with our new aircraft, and to keep investing in those sectors that we believe value our value proposition,” he said. Tune in to this week’s podcast to learn more on Modern’s plans as Koga speaks with Cargo Facts Editor Jeff Lee.