A330 strengthens role as top reconfigured pax freighter

The A330 Family of passenger aircraft continues to see reconfigurations to temporary cargo layout through the removal of seats from the cabin, solidifying its status alongside the 777 as the auxiliary passenger freighters of choice. SmartLynx Airlines Malta will soon add five more units to the list of A330s that have had their passenger cabin stripped since March 2020 to create more room for cargo on the main deck. The total number of reconfigured A330s will grow to around sixty, on par with 777s, according to Cargo Facts research . The carrier is leasing four A330-300s from CDB Aviation, with the first being unit 1382 (ex-Evelop Airlines), a 2013-vintage frame with Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines. The source of the fifth A330 is currently unclear. All five aircraft will join SmartLynx Malta’s operation in May and June. The carrier’s Latvia-based affiliate has already reconfigured several A320s and A321s. Unit 1382 is currently at the STS Aviation Services facility in Birmingham (BHX), U.K., where it arrived on April 27. [caption id="attachment_415916" align="alignright" width="560"] The A330 has been popular for reconfigurations over the past fourteen months. (Photo/SmartLynx Airlines)[/caption] SmartLynx recently told Cargo Facts that it may consider adding freighter-converted A330s, but its focus for now is the introduction of the world’s first A321-200PCF (891, ex-Air Mediterranee), for which 321 Precision Conversions obtained certification at the end of April . SmartLynx will soon begin flying the aircraft, on lease from Vallair, on an ACMI basis for DHL Express. Cargo Facts has so far recorded more than 2,600 passenger aircraft having operated a cargo-only flight at least once since March 2020, of which more than 220 have undergone some form of seat removal. The two most popular types by far are the A330 and the 777 — mostly the -200 and -300 variants in the case of the former, and overwhelmingly the -300ER in the case of the 777. While some of those aircraft have returned to passenger service, other carriers continue to reconfigure more A330s. Lufthansa Technik recently told Cargo Facts that it is in discussions with several airlines and lessors to adopt a newly developed reconfiguration package for the A330, for which Finnair is the launch operator. AELF FlightService, which began operations with its first reconfigured A330-200 late last year, added another earlier this year and will soon have four in service with Malta-based Maleth-Aero . TAP Air Portugal, which reconfigured two A330-900s in 2020, now operates three reconfigured A330-200s and will be the launch customer of a more extensive reconfiguration package developed by U.K.-based Avensis Aviation. In Asia, Garuda Indonesia recently also reconfigured two A330-300s. CDB Aviation, for its part, ferried what will be its first A330-300P2F (958, ex-China Southern) to Dresden in late April for conversion with Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW). The lessor has a second conversion on order but recently said at Cargo Facts Asia 2021 that it plans to grow its A330-300P2F portfolio. Cargo Facts EMEA, taking place June 2-3 as a virtual experience, is the event for exploring opportunity in the EMEA region. The event continues to bring together the best, brightest, and most innovative executives in the global air cargo industry. Learn more and register at www.cargofactsemea.com .

A330 strengthens role as top reconfigured pax freighter

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