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Western Global Airlines (WGA) is a Part 121 supplemental all-cargo airline based in Estero, Florida, operating from its hub at Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW). The fleet consists of 16 MD-11F freighters and 4 Boeing 747-400BCF (converted) freighters, with approximately 150 pilots represented by ALPA. The airline was founded in 2013 by Jim Neff, who remains CEO and owner.
For interview purposes, the critical context is this: Western Global is in crisis. The November 2025 FAA grounding of all MD-11 aircraft — triggered by the UPS Flight 2976 crash at Louisville — devastated Western Global, whose fleet is 80% MD-11. Approximately 75 of 147 pilots received furlough notices. The company has warned the situation "threatens the company's survival." This came barely two years after emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December 2023.
When operational, Western Global provides ACMI wet-lease and charter cargo services for express delivery companies, freight forwarders, airlines (including Etihad), the U.S. military, e-commerce firms, and humanitarian organizations worldwide. The flying is international, widebody, and home-based with unique international crew bases in Amsterdam, Dubai, Incheon, and Bogotá. But the airline's future is genuinely uncertain as of early 2026.
Western Global Airlines is one of the youngest cargo carriers in the industry:
Sources listed at the end of each profile. Data compiled from public filings, airline newsrooms, AirlinePilotCentral, Glassdoor, FAA records, and industry publications.