A330 conversions continue climb in freighter market

Conversion capacity for Airbus medium-widebody freighters continues to expand with the arrival of the first A330-300 (908, ex-Onur Air) at ST Engineering’s VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering facility in Mobile (BFM), Ala., on March 29. The 2008-vintage aircraft, belonging to CDB Aviation, will be the first A330 conversion to take place in North America. [caption id="attachment_417802" align="alignright" width="560"] EFW has expanded its A330 conversion activities to China and the U.S. this year. (Photo/EFW)[/caption] ST Engineering recently confirmed to Cargo Facts that the Mobile facility would begin A330 conversion operations in April, joining the Shanghai Technologies Aerospace Company Limited (STARCO) facility, which recently also began the first A330 conversion in China . Nearly four and a half years after the completion and redelivery of the first converted A330-300 (127, ex-Malaysia Airlines) by Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW), the joint venture between Airbus and ST Engineering,EFW’s medium-widebody conversion program is continuing its surge in popularity among major lessors and operators. As of the end of March 2022, there were ten A330-300P2Fs and four A330-200P2Fs in service. DHL still controls the largest A330P2F contingent by far, with three each currently in operation with ASL Airlines Ireland and Air Hong Kong, and two with DHL’s own Germany-based airline EAT Leipzig. But the type also gained two new operators in 2021, with U.K.-based Titan Airways flying a -300P2F on a CMI basis for Geodis and Turkey-based MNG Airlines taking its first -300P2F . Meanwhile, another new operator has already joined the list in 2022; Mexico-based carrier MasAir (now “mas”) took delivery of the first of two A330-200P2Fs on lease from Altavair earlier this year and will also add two -300P2Fs on lease from CDB Aviation later in 2022. Conversion feedstock for the A330 can vary in age but has tended to be younger than their 767 counterparts , particularly in the wake of the pandemic. In fact, all inductions since the second half of 2019 have been of 2005 vintage or younger, with three DHL units being less than ten years old. But according to Cargo Facts ’ 2022 Widebody Freighter Fleet Analysis , the average age of A330 freighters generally is 2010 vintage, while conversions are slightly older at 2004 vintage on average. Since 2019, all A330s inducted for conversion have been equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines. EFW’s conversion output increase comes as the order book continues to grow. In early 2022, CDB Aviation said that it will add twelve more A330-300P2Fs and become the first customer to induct conversions at both STARCO and VT Mobile. Not long after that, Cargo Aircraft Management (CAM) announced nine more slots with EFW , bringing its total commitments to twenty-nine, with inductions from 2023 through 2026. The variety of A330P2F operators will increasingly broaden in the months and years ahead. The known carriers expecting converted A330 freighters for the first time currently include: French Logistics group CMA CGM, which has adopted an A330-200 to operate in a reconfigured passenger prior to conversion; Qantas, which will send two of its own passenger -200s for conversion ; CDB customers Sichuan Airlines and Jianxi Cargo Airlines; and SmartLynx, which will lease six -300P2Fs from CAM . Most recently, Air Incheon told Cargo Facts of its intention to secure as many as five units . While EFW-converted A330P2Fs will be the sole conversion type for the next few years, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) announced its A330-300BDSF conversion program with launch partner Avolon in October 2021, with an eye to becoming the second STC holder for the type. The company previously told Cargo Facts it anticipates completing the first conversion around 2025. Cargo Facts EMEA will take place LIVE May 9-11 in Dubai. Learn more and register.

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