Boeing is this year cutting output to two aircraft per month, including an unknown number of 777Xs. 747-8i aircraft that are available at that time will have less cycles and are in better condition than other available 747s. Would the reflected sun's radiation melt ice in LEO? Israel Aerospace Industries is to set up a European facility in Naples to convert passenger aircraft into freighters. He can be reached for comments and tips at, Copyright 2023, All Rights Reserved, FreightWaves, Inc, Passenger-to-freighter conversions keep on humming. Some advantages of our A320/A321P2F solution include: In contrast to other solutions providers who rely on reverse engineering, our Airbus P2F programmes are developed using OEM technical data to convert passenger aircraft into well-optimised and reliable freighter workhorse. 2023 Reed Smith LLP. High containerised cargo volume Demand for passenger-to-freighter conversions pre-dates the pandemic, largely driven by the express parcel carriers and their need to update their fleets of smaller freighters, but the pandemic has added a further surge in demand. The E190F will be able to handle a payload of 23,600lb (10,700kg) while the E195F a payload of 27,100 lb (12,300 kg). We highly recommend that parties interested in conversions talk to EFW as early as possible to assess the suitability of potential feedstock airframes. In short, WV standardisation can be part of specific agreements with customers if conversion feedstock is acquired from multiple sources. The converted freighter, dubbed the "Big Twin," is a collaboration between Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS). Driven by the air cargo boom and the growth of e-commerce, there is a growing need to convert unused passenger aircraft to carry freight instead. Global air freight's future. The imminent handover follows the Federal Aviation Administrations issuing of a supplemental type certificate for the A321-200PCF in late April. EFW has secured new orders for converted A321. This will bring the global conversion . Boeing believes this ramp-up of conversion rate is necessary to meet the growing demand for these aircraft. In addition, the A321s Doors 4 L/R are removed and re-skinned, which is necessary to accommodate a 14thfull-size container position without limitation. Source: Boeing 747-400 Passengers to Cargo Conversion, Israel Aerospace Industries, YouTube. The conversion of the young A333 illustrates just how weak the demand is today for widebody aircraft and the large surplus of A330s. The A330 conversion programme is finally underway. Last year, the company finished 19 conversions of the A320/321 and the larger A330 family. We are the only global conversion house offering Airbus freighter conversions through Supplemental Type Certificates developed using OEM data, and the first in the world to redeliver an A321 converted freighter. How did Dominion legally obtain text messages from Fox News hosts? Interest in our A321P2F conversion solution has been on a significant rise over the past year, says chief executive Andreas Sperl. Jens Steinhagen, director of Boeing freighter conversions, commented on the announcement saying. Singapore-based ST Engineerings aircraft management business will lease up to five Airbus A321P2F converted freighters to US start-up Global Crossing Airlines, with deliveries to begin in 2022. low maintenance costs. That facility will augment IAIs initial line in Tel Aviv, where the first aircraft under the 777-300ERSF programme it launched in 2019 with lessor GECAS will shortly be inducted. Today,. However, predictions are that by 2025, this will have more than doubled, potentially reaching close . What does the future of aviation look like in 2022? And in recent days, one of its freighter conversions caught people's attention, because it involved a rather young jet. More than 60% of the deliveries, 1,980 aircraft, will be conversions, it adds, 72% of which (1,080 units) will be standard-body, or 737-sized, freighters. COOPESA has demonstrated the technical expertise and commitment to quality and execution necessary to help us meet the growing customer demand for the 737-800BCF, including in the Americas. Loaded & Rolling (Enterprise Fleet News/Analysis). Elbe Flugzeugwerke continues to increase its capabilities. 321 Precision, a joint venture that includes cargo leasing and airline services conglomerate Air Transport Services Group, also has production partners in the U.S. window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []}; For a swift yet reversible solution, we help passenger aircraft operators carry out modification to the aircraft cabin interiors for increased cargo carrying capacity. window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []}; As a conversion house that has redelivered over 400 aircraft through its Passenger-to-Freighter (P2F) programmes since 1996, ST Engineering is today one of the world's largest and most experienced solution providers for freighter conversion. . Also, conversion candidates with a lower deck Cargo Loading System (CLS) already installed may be a good baseline to avoid extra spending. We recommend that customers assign heavy checks to the modification site (ST Engineering and EFW) in conjunction with the P2F conversion. Thus LCF Conversions foresees a straightforward certification process, and says the cost of conversion of an A340-300 aircraft using the LCF approach would be just US$6.5 million, including the cargo loading system. An ASL Airlines Boeing 737-400 freighter landing at Milan Malpensa airport. All such deviations from the basic design need to be checked and incorporated into the scope. Air passenger traffic was cut off overnight and billions were wiped from industry revenues. That makes it 1,500-1,800 lb. Guide to Business Aviation Training and Safety 2022. "We estimate that most slots are sold for 2021 and. googletag.pubads().collapseEmptyDivs(); Why do we kill some animals but not others? Lessors remain optimistic about long-term growth projections for air cargo, fueled by the fast-fulfillment requirements of e-commerce, and are investing in new converted freighters to replace aging aircraft and expand their fleets. How much does the transformation cost compared to a D-check? The conversion design is based on the Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) process, like it was for the previous generation A300/A310P2F and the current A330P2F. In IBAs view, the 737 will continue as the mainstay of the smaller narrowbody market, with conversion activity shifting to the -800 as feedstock availability of earlier 737 Classics dries up. Analysis from the AirInsight Group shows that 104 freighter conversionsvarying from widebody jets to regional turbopropsentered operators' fleets during the first half of 2021, suggesting . Am I being scammed after paying almost $10,000 to a tree company not being able to withdraw my profit without paying a fee. Converting passenger aircraft into a freighter is a way to extend the economic life of an aircraft. And on the other side of the Atlantic, Ireland-based lessor GTLK Europe is to acquire four A321 converted freighters, induction for which will commence this year. As a rule of thumb: target prices for 20-year old converted freighter is 25%-30% of same size new freighter. Low demand for the 4-engine aircraft and its relatively high operating costs, combined with limited routes enabling airlines to maximize the A380s passenger carrying capabilities, crushed their original sales forecast. EFW has its own AOG service 24/7. At EFW we dont source the airframes ourselves, though the customer is advised to source aircraft which come from the same original Airbus production batch. Converting a Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft into a freighter: GECAS - General Electric Capital Aviation Services, the finance arm of the conglomerate General Electric and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has now passed the planned halfway phase of the Development Program for the 777-300ERSF. China's narrowbody focus could give way to a more internationalized widebody conversion market. Managing Editor - Joanna has worked in publishing for more than a decade and is fast becoming a go-to source for commercial aviation analysis. Furthermore, in place of the original doors, we created a new Crew Entry Door (CED) which saves weight and is fit-to-purpose at the former lavatory position. GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) has delivered the first Boeing 777-300ER to Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) for the prototype passenger-to-freighter conversion. As of July 30, 2017, a total of 1,425 Airbus A321-200 passenger aircraft are in service. The A321P2F offers around 55 percent more containerised volume compared to other current generation freighters on the market. The number of passenger-to-freighter conversions has steadily increased at a 9% compound annual growth rate from 2010-21, driven by demand for standard-size freighters best suited for regional package networks. Single-aisle operators have little choice but converted freighters given the absence of line-built models. Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Co. Ltd. (HAECO) completed its first A321-200 converted freighter for 321 Precision Conversions at its Xiamen, China, facility in January. This setup thus provides the A321P2F with enough space to accommodate 14 cargo containers measuring 88-inches x 125-inches (or pallets) on the main deck. As such, there appears to be a demand/supply equilibrium currently in terms of aircraft available for conversion. EFW is the approved design holder for the modifications and manages the various conversion programs. This has declined dramatically. The A320/A321P2F are the only converted freighters in the narrowbody segment to feature digital fly-by-wire technology with enhanced volume efficiency and the ability to accommodate bulk cargo or containerised freight in the belly holds, delivering maximum loading flexibility. Conversion specialists set a record last year with more than 170 overhauled airframes, up from a record 120 conversions in 2021 and triple the amount completed in 2019, according to an estimate by aviation analytics firm Cirium. Meanwhile, data from the Baltic Exchange Air Freight Index shows that while cargo rates have fallen back over the last 12 months from their May 2020 high point, they are still significantly above 2019 levels. The aircraft will undergo modification by the EFW joint venture which is run by ST Engineering and Airbus. MathJax reference. Indeed, in April this year rates on the Hong Kong-North America lane spiked to $8.48/kg, higher even than the $7.73/kg seen in May last year, driven upwards by reduced capacity due to stricter quarantine regulations in Hong Kong. Smiley says the Seven-Threes are. AerSale's Goodyear, AZ heavy-MRO facility has been performing P2F conversions on 757 aircraft since 2013. Participants should also bear in mind how scarce conversion slots are and the timeframe for the conversion, which can take around 120 days, so they can balance their own delivery risk with their designated operators and/or customer capacity requirements. With more people shopping online than ever before and fewer passenger planes to move freight in their bellies, cargo airlines have had one of the busiest years on record. Ethan has advised banks, lessors, airlines and other investors on some of the largest and most ground-breaking aviation transactions in the APAC region over the past decade. Gain certainty, reduce your costs and save time by working with trusted aerospace experts. The 757 continues to dominate the larger narrowbody space, says IBA; an additional 20 examples are pending conversion having been retired from passenger roles, it says, adding to the 298 units in operation as freighters at February 2021. The aircraft (MSN 32789) will become the first ever B777 converted into a freighter configuration and marks the launch of the "Big Twin" programme announced last October. DHL Express has firm orders for eight A330-300P2F units in total, with additional options to receive another 10. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. But with the US Air Force having an eventual requirement for 179 KC-46 tankers, the orderbook will be periodically topped up over the coming years. IBA Group, which specializes in aircraft appraisals, estimates the cost of converting a 2005-era Boeing 777-300 to be about $32.5 million. Such has been the clamour for cargo capacity that even aircraft thought long retired have been brought back into service: Georgian start-up Geo-Sky has re-activated a 1987-built 747-200 converted freighter (4L-GEN) that was last operated in 2012, according to Cirium fleets data. Boeing already undertakes this process at Boeing Shanghai Aviation Services (BSAS) in Shanghai, China; Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Company Limited (GAMECO) in Guangzhou, China; and Taikoo (Shandong) Aircraft Engineering Co. Ltd. (STAECO) in Jinan, China. Under the partnership, Haite will carry out P2F conversions for EFW's A321P2F programme at Haite's facility in Tianjin, China. Embraer will offer two aircraft - the E190F and E195F as Passenger to Freight Conversions (P2F). googletag.enableServices(); googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest(); Simone Funk, Aerospace Competence Manager Global Air Logistics. Boeing is pleased to have COOPESA join our team of MRO partners as we deliver our market-leading converted freighters to customers around the world.. It also expects to establish production lines in China and the United States for the A330 reconfiguration in 2022. Use MathJax to format equations. Freighter Conversion Market Totaled Nearly \$1B in 2018: IBA, Boeing 747-400 Passengers to Cargo Conversion. Boeing sees the cargo market as a whole growing at an annual rate of 4% over the next 20 years, resulting in the need for a freighter fleet 60% larger than todays, rising from 2,010 to 3,260 units.