CAMEX Airlines (Z7, Tbilisi) has taken delivery of its first aircraft, a B737-800(BCF), necessary to complete certification by the end of July 2022 and launch in August.

2-BPDB (msn 33549), a 19-year-old ex-Ryanair Boeing jet, was ferried after P2F conversion from Guangzhou via Bishkek to Tbilisi on July 4, 2022. While it is already painted in CAMEX's livery, it has yet to be registered in Georgia. The aircraft is owned by Nomura Babcock & Brown and managed by BBAM.

The start-up confirmed to Cargo Facts that it expects its certification will take another two to three weeks. Once completed, it will launch in August 2022.

"We plan to connect southern and northern Chinese and regions in India with Europe and the Middle East regions. We already have memorandums in place to fly to Delhi International, Hong Kong International, Macau International, and back to EU and Middle East regions," the start-up told ch-aviation.

CAMEX Airlines, which is backed by the US-based Gazelle Fund LLP, plans to add a further three B737-800(BCF)s by the end of the year. The second unit is scheduled to deliver in August 2022.

The airline told ch-aviation that it was planning to add two widebody aircraft (A330s or B767s) in 2023-2024.

The ch-aviation fleets module shows the airline is the sixth cargo carrier trying to leverage Georgia's strategic location between Europe and Asia and the fourth operating B737NG converted freighters. Georgian Airlines operates a single B737-800(BCF), Georgian Airways - a single B737-800(SF), and MyWay Airlines - a single B737-700(BDSF). Easy Charter and Geosky Airlines operate an A300B4(F) and two B747-200B(SF)s, respectively.