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National Airlines (N8/NCR — not the original 1934-1980 National Airlines) is a privately held cargo and passenger charter operator flying a fleet of 12 aircraft — 9 Boeing 747-400 freighters and 3 Airbus A330 passenger widebodies — from a single domicile at Orlando, Florida. It is headquartered in Orlando (operational) and Orchard Park, New York (corporate parent), and employs approximately 236 active pilots with no union representation. Christopher J. Alf serves as Chairman and CEO of the parent National Air Cargo Group, Inc.
For interview purposes, the simplest way to frame National Airlines is this: it is a premier on-demand cargo charter operator specializing in outsized freight, time-sensitive cargo, and military airlift — operating the Boeing 747-400 Freighter as its workhorse alongside A330 passenger widebodies for charter services. National is a major CRAF participant with $129 million in CRAF agreements and a $1.5 billion Global Heavyweight Services DoD contract. The airline is preparing for a transformative fleet upgrade with four new-build Boeing 777-200F freighters on order, with the first delivery expected around April 2026. National flies to 100+ countries, and its captain pay starts at $226/hour. The airline is non-union with a 100% 401(k) match on the first 5%.
Sources listed at the end of each profile. Data compiled from public filings, airline newsrooms, AirlinePilotCentral, Glassdoor, FAA records, and industry publications.