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Amerijet to Repair Damaged 767 Despite Age, Citing Freighter Shortage

Miami-based Amerijet International will repair a 36-year-old Boeing 767-300 freighter that sustained fuselage damage during a hard landing in Guatemala City in September, CEO Joe Mozzali said. The aircraft's nose gear touched down first, buckling the upper fuselage around station 650. Insurance will cover repairs as they prove cheaper than a total-loss claim. The widebody freighter shortage makes even severely damaged aircraft economically viable to repair. Supply chain constraints are limiting passenger-to-freighter conversions, while delayed new aircraft deliveries due to engine quality issues reduce available cargo capacity. Amerijet contracted a local repair station for temporary fixes in Guatemala City before ferrying the plane to a maintenance facility for longer-term repair. The aircraft was built in November 1990 and originally delivered to Qantas, and it remains grounded. Return-to-service timing remains uncertain.