SpiceXpress’ second 737-700F converted at Haite in Tianjin

[caption id="attachment_411632" align="alignright" width="414"] In February, a second 737 NG (ex-Hainan Airlines) was inducted for conversion to freighter configuration by Bedek at the Haite facility in Tianjin.[/caption] On 18 April, Bedek redelivered a 737-700BDSF (30512, ex-Xiamen Airlines) to Spectre Air Capital, following conversion to freighter configuration at the Haite Facility in Tianjin. Just hours before the Cargo Facts team departed Shanghai following a successful Cargo Facts Asia, the aircraft departed Tianjin Binhai Airport (TSN) and was ferried to New Delhi Airport (DEL), where the aircraft was placed on lease to operator SpiceXpress. For SpiceXpress, the cargo affiliate of India-based SpiceJet, the aircraft represents the second of four freighters slated to join its fleet. Last year when SpiceJet took its maiden freighter , the carrier said the pair of 737-700s would later be joined by two 737-800BDSFs. Bedek, for its part, has commenced flight tests for its first 737-800BDSF and expects an STC from the FAA by May or June of this year. Returning to Tianjin Haite Aircraft Engineering Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Chengdu-based Haite High-tech Co., this is the MRO’s first 737-700 passenger-to-freighter conversion, but not its last. In an announcement, the MRO said it had already inducted a second aircraft (ex-Hainan-Airlines) earlier this year. Moving forward, Haite expects to have two parallel conversion lines dedicated to 737 NG conversions at its Tianjin facility. Apart from Haite, Bedek also plans to induct a -700 for conversion at its joint venture Belinco facility in Lingyun near Yichang Sanxia Airport. As Haite, a relative newcomer to P2F conversions, completes touch labor on its first NG conversion, here’s a look at planned and active conversion lines that will accommodate the Asia Pacific market for 737 NG and A320-family passenger-to-freighter conversions, according to a panel discussion on conversions at Cargo Facts Asia: AEI recently signed an agreement with STAECO to handle 737-800SF conversions at its Jinan (TNA) facility. Boeing has three active conversion lines for its 737-800BCF program at the STAECO facility in Jinan and by mid-2019 will add a second line at its Boeing Shanghai MRO facility. Precision Conversions has an active conversion line at the AMECO facility in Chengdu (CTU) for its 757-200 program. HAECO Xiamen (XMN) has also converted 757-200PCFs EFW has two facilities capable of doing conversions for the Asia Pacific market, one at the ST Engineering Aerospace facility at Paya Lebar (QPG) and a second at its Dresden facility (DRS). Regarding future capacity, additional conversion lines are under consideration. Alvey Pratt, Director, Boeing Converted Freighters & Complex Modifications, Boeing Global Services, said the company is “Evaluating other locations and sites for conversion lines to meet demand and be near key customers.” Similarly, Wolfgang Schmid, Vice President Sales & Marketing Airbus Freighter Conversion, EFW, said the company is planning to add conversion capacity at ST Engineering Aerospace’s Pensacola facility (PNS). MRO selection can be critical to the success of a conversion program and requires a bit of due diligence on behalf of the STC holder. According to Bob Convey, SVP Sales & Marketing, AEI, “History, knowledge of major structural conversions, and manpower,” are three crucial factors. Zach Young, Sales Director, 321 Precision Conversions, concurred and added, aside from that, “the experience in airframe type, the quality of the work, price and the MRO’s proximity to the customer and feedstock,” are additional factors to be considered.

SpiceXpress’ second 737-700F converted at Haite in Tianjin

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SpiceXpress’ second 737-700F converted at Haite in Tianjin

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