
Two months ago, we noted UPS’ purchase of a 767-300ER (33494) from Japan Airlines, and predicted that, after a maintenance stop at Goodyear Airport (GYR), it would fly off to whichever conversion center Boeing decided to use to convert it to BCF freighter configuration. We also predicted that this was the first of many 767s UPS planned to acquire for freighter conversion.
You can read that post here, but the gist of it was that UPS would have preferred to buy new 767-300Fs, but, because no production slots were available (FedEx and the US Air Force had Boeing’s 767 production line tied up well into the future), chose to go the conversion route instead.
This morning at the Paris Air Show, Boeing and UPS confirmed that they had indeed reached an agreement for three 767-300BCF conversions. The announcement contained no further details, and Boeing declined to specify whether it would have the conversion done by ST Aero in Singapore or by EGAT in Taiwan. In the meantime, the aircraft is still in maintenance at GYR.
And what about the other two aircraft to be converted? Again, no details were provided, but Cargo Facts believes they will, like the first, come from the Japan Airlines fleet. We also expect these three to be followed by more, also likely from JAL.