Boeing keeps mid-size-freighter door open with 767-300F production deadline extension

A proposed section in the 2024 FAA reauthorization bill that seeks to extend the 767-300F’s production deadline would leave a door open in the medium-widebody freighter segment for Boeing as passenger 767 conversion feedstock candidates become increasingly scarce. Section 1105 in the latest version of the bill, updated May 1, is titled “Limitations for certain cargo aircraft.” It proposes that emissions and fuel efficiency standards set out by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the FAA not kick in until Jan. 1, 2033, for “a purpose-built freighter” jet with a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) between 180 tonnes and 240 tonnes that obtained its type certificate before Jan. 1, 2023. [caption id="attachment_56868238" align="aligncenter" width="980"] Boeing has delivered 246 767-300Fs since 1995. (Courtesy/Boeing)[/caption] Boeing’s 767-300F is the only in-production freighter that fits those criteria. It was certified by the FAA in 1995 and has a MTOW of about 186 tonnes. Staying competitive The 767-300F is not compliant with the FAA’s Airplane Fuel Efficiency Certification rule, effective April 16, and Boeing would have had to end production after Dec. 31, 2027. The Airplane Fuel Efficiency Certification rule incorporates carbon emissions standards the EPA has adopted that are based on those prescribed by the International Civil Aviation Organization. Any 767-300Fs produced after Jan. 1, 2028, would be limited to domestic use in the absence of any “relevant international agreements and standards,” according to Section 1105 of the reauthorization bill. It is unclear whether Boeing has secured or expects more orders for the freighter. The planemaker has delivered 246 767-300Fs to date with thirty-four left on its backlog, nineteen for UPS and fifteen for FedEx. FedEx previously held options to purchase forty-three more but recently gave up options for seven . “My guess is that Boeing just wants to have an offering in that space for a few more years, maybe until a 787 conversion is out,” George Dimitroff, head of valuations at Cirium Ascend Consultancy, told Cargo Facts . “I am not sure if they can keep selling many, but it depends on the fleet planning decisions of their largest customers. I suspect that it is probably more about wanting to have the option to keep production open and let commercial factors decide the end of production date, rather than the ICAO rule being imposed and preventing potential sales for which there might be demand in future.” Another industry source agreed, saying that Boeing hopes to continue to offer the 767-300F as it has nothing new in the mid-range widebody freighter market to compete with Airbus. 767-300BCF and 767-300BDSF conversions with Boeing and IAI have slowed, partly due to the weaker market but also because of a lack of good feedstock. Customers with 767-300ERs in conversion or preparing for conversion include CAM, UPS , Japan Airlines and LATAM. 767 successor Meanwhile, A330 conversions continue to ramp up with EFW, which aims to redeliver up to twenty-five A330P2Fs in 2024 . Boeing has hinted that it is looking at a new-build 787 freighter as a replacement for the 767, and Airbus may be considering an A330neo freighter, but neither manufacturer has publicly announced anything. Boeing’s other production freighter, the 777F, has an MTOW of about 348 tonnes and is outside the scope of Section 1105. It will end production after Dec. 31, 2027, but Boeing and Airbus are already each offering a next-generation freighter in the large-widebody space with the 777-8F and the A350F. U.S. Senate and House committee leaders in late April reached agreement on the bicameral bill that will reauthorize the FAA from fiscal 2024 through fiscal 2028. Cargo Facts LATAM 2024, the essential event for stakeholders in Latin America, will take place May 13-15 at the Hilton Panama. Learn more and register today .

Boeing keeps mid-size-freighter door open with 767-300F production deadline extension

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