PODCAST: Boeing Global Services’ Bob Weiss on BCF programs

Jeff Lee
Hello and welcome to this episode of cargo facts connect, the podcast of cargo facts, the newsletter of record for the air cargo and freighter aircraft industries for over 40 years. I’m Jeff Lee, editor of cargo facts and it’s Friday, the 25th of August. With me here today is Bob Weiss, director of 737 and 767 BCFs at Boeing global services. Hey Bob, thank you for joining us.

Bob Weiss
Thanks for having me. I’m excited to be here.

Jeff Lee
So perhaps I just want to start off, maybe with a bit about you. I know you started your current role, earlier this year. But of course, you’ve been with Boeing for for 20 years in various divisions and departments.

Bob Weiss
Yeah, that’s correct. I’ve been so lucky to have a really amazing career at Boeing and venturing into all of our businesses, a lot of our different functions and getting to touch so many of our airplane programs. And you’re right, I did start in the freighter conversion role a number of months now ago. And yeah, it’s been a really fun experience for me to learn to grow and to, to jump into a new segment here of aerospace that, quite honestly, I didn’t know much about coming in about six months ago, like you said, but this has been an incredible journey for me. And I just can’t wait to get deeper and deeper into the freighter segment here of our business.

Jeff Lee
It’s great that you’ve you’ve been involved in so many aspects of the lean manufacturing industry. And so when it comes to the the BCF, you know, business what, what have been some of the things that have surprised you so far? And what’s how is it different from the rest of, of the business? Well,

Bob Weiss
Well surprise is is, is an interesting word, I think I walked in here. And my first impression, that’s, that’s the word I’ll choose is my experience. My impression was, how much passion exists among the people that I interact with every day. And some of those are the people on my team. Some, by the way, some of which have been in this business years and decades. And so watching their passion, and that passion that’s been developed over years and decades is just so inspirational to me. But then I’ve had the chance to interact with various partners in our industry and customers and, and the thing I’ve observed and experienced jumping in here is how much passion people have for the the freighter market and the freighter conversion industry. And it’s so inspiring to me to just get to witness that every single day, and get to hear people’s stories and hear how, how much people care about the product and service that they’re bringing, whether they’re whether they’re on our Boeing side, whether they’re an MRO partner, or whether they’re the lessors, and operators out there in the world. So it’s just been so inspirational for me and, and I found kind of my own unique passion in this space, which, which is the idea that I’ve had a chance in this industry to touch so many of our Boeing products, commercial defense, and others in my handful of years at Boeing now. But now I get to touch the product in a way where we get to give a second life and another mission to our Boeing airplanes. And that’s what’s so amazing for me, whether that’s it’s around sustainability, or or just giving, giving a chance for our products and services to touch an area of the market in the world they haven’t touched before. That’s where I find inspiration.

Jeff Lee
Right? Yeah, I mean, I think it’s, it might be a slightly smaller circle, then perhaps, you know, the commercial at the Boeing Commercial Airplanes side, but it’s definitely much wealth for us as observers of the freighter side of things. It’s so interesting, and it’s as you say, the people are so passionate and it’s very close knit community, isn’t it?

Bob Weiss
It is and I’m just excited to learn more and more about it and meet more people in that in that small circle.

Jeff Lee
Yeah, so on the on your two conversion programs. Let’s just I mean, that touch on the the 737 800 piece First, because this week we reported on yet another new conversion line that you’ll be opening in Jordan at the Aramco facility. Pretty interesting location. How, how long? Have you been looking for a site in that region of the world?

Bob Weiss
Well, I think the context of, of what we’re doing on the program is important to, to really lay out in that context is, you know, we’re looking at a stable growth in the in the freighter business here and recognizing that in order to meet the world and meet the market, in stable growth, three to five years out, we have to be investing our time and energy now in thinking about the global footprint that we’re going to need in those out years. And so I don’t know if it’s about so much, how long have we been thinking about that specific site, as much as we’re always thinking about the three to five and longer horizon in front of us and making sure that, you know, we recognize that the partnerships that we have in our MRO partners, and we’re always looking forward to the partnerships that we think we might need in the future and building those partnerships, investing in those partnerships, and making sure that we have that right mix of offerings to be able to bring to the marketplace on that longer term horizon.

Jeff Lee
Yeah, and it, it adds to, of course, a couple of other upcoming locations that you’ll be opening for the 737 800 pcf. And that I’m talking about, of course, the GMI, or atomic facility in Hyderabad, India, as well as the KF aerospace facility in Kelowna. So, I mean, yes, it truly is a pretty global picture when it comes to your narrowbody conversion program. I think I’m correct in saying that the KF facility is probably the next one that will be activating.

Bob Weiss
Actually, we’ve begun work with our partners in Canada, and we have our first conversion underway. And we’re expecting to be able to announce that completion here this year. So we’ve actually begun that work. And as you mentioned, there’s there’s a couple of mros that that you touched on there in specifics, but we’re in different stages of maturity, working in partnering with each of those. So we do have, like I said, the conversion is underway with with our partners in Canada, and we’re encouraged to see what where that’s going to lead and the learning curve that wants to embark on next with that partnership.

Jeff Lee
Great. Well, I mean, what’s it like prepping for all these openings and juggling so many different locations now?

Bob Weiss
Well, we’ve always had a global footprint. And so part of making sure that we maintain relationships, in a global footprint is making sure that we have presence and so it’s, it’s part of our core belief that we need to be present around the world. And so we actually make sure that part of our bowling team shows up regionally in the parts of the world where where we have conversion line set up. So yes, that’s that’s a challenge to communicate as my team gets spread all over the world. But it also gives us the chance to have a relationship and have a local presence and speak the local dialect when it when it comes time to doing that. And and make sure that when times are good and times are tough, that we have a relationship that’s that’s local, to each one of our partners. So sure, it can be a challenge as as most of our businesses is in working globally and internationally 24/7 around the world, but we approach that problem and that challenge, simply by making sure we show up locally and position our people locally to be side by side with our partner.

Jeff Lee
Now on the 737 800 BCF you reached 100 deliveries last year. But this year, you also hit several milestones, including the 70th at Staeco in Jinan, and more recently the 20th at gameco in Guangzhou. Are you anticipating any more milestones for that program this year?

Bob Weiss
Jeff, I’m smiling. And just first of all, I’m impressed how how much the industry follows the program that I get to lead. It’s humbling and honoring that so many people see and care about these milestones. And so I smile. I know you can’t see that. But I’m just impressed and genuinely thrilled that people care about both our BCF programs. But yes, we do have more, more milestones coming more on the horizon. As you mentioned, a couple already we’ve had a few new partnerships announced. But but shortly here later this year, we have our 150th. Seven three seven 800 BCF which will be redelivered to our customers, and just a host more of of additional redeliveries that we have planned and market demand and customers who are asking for every single one after that. So we’re proud to announce 150 here shortly, and we just look for that that continued partnership to move past 200 Not too far into the distant future.

Jeff Lee
Yeah, well, well, on the on the widebody side. This year, was also the 15th year of the 767 300 BCF wasn’t it?

Bob Weiss
Yes, we had a chance to celebrate that with with our MRO partners and customers as well. And, you know, for me, as a person who’s been on the program for months, not years, you know, I get to reflect on, you know, the shoulders I stand on for the people who lead the program for the people who have contributed to the program, both in our in our MRO teams and our Boeing teams, I’m just, I stand in awe of how much work is has gone into the legacy of a program that’s 15 years old. You know, we’re right about 80 units delivered for the 767 BCF. And, and like I said, I’m just humbled and in awe that we have such a strong program, we have a long runway left and we have very good demand still coming from the customers for such a workhorse in the industry.

Jeff Lee
Yeah, you touched on something that just now about how much life there is left in the program. And I mean, yes, there are still plenty of feedstock aircraft left, but there is a there is a point where the program will will kind of have to slowly slow down, if not end, how much are you thinking about next steps in terms of widebody conversions?

Bob Weiss
Well, we’re still focused on the demand that we’re seeing right now we’re focused on making sure that the 767 300 is is a program we can continue to execute and maintain our customer satisfaction. So that maintain that that remains one of our key priorities. But we haven’t lost our ability to to look to the future. And so right now, what we’re focused on as we look to the future is, is listening very carefully to our customers. A number of have suggested to us what they are interested in some future market potential. So really, for us right now, we’re just listening very closely, and making sure that we understand what our customers needs, what the market needs, and that we can evaluate that and give it its appropriate consideration in due time.

Jeff Lee
So for now though, your 767 conversions are concentrated in Asia, specifically in Guangzhou in Singapore. Can we expect any diversification there as well?

Bob Weiss
I mean it’s interesting how much you picked up on all of the MRO partnerships and new work we’ve done on our 737BCF partnerships. When it comes to our partnerships on the 767BCF I really just want to highlight what great partners we do have. We’ve got a strong program, as you say, 15 years young, and we’ve got MROs in Singapore and China that have really done a fantastic job for our Boeing programs and again I want to highlight and celebrate what this is and recognize them for carrying us through over a decade now. So while we continue to always evaluate new demand, new capabilities, I just want to highlight the great opportunity that they’ve set us up for success to carry this program and carry the rest of the demand here for what years we have left on the 767BCF program.

Jeff Lee
Sure, well, we’ll continue to observe, you know, all the various developments you make with your conversion programs. And we look forward to covering those and I guess, in the more immediate future look forward to seeing you at Cargo facts symposium in San Diego in October.

Bob Weiss
Yeah, I am looking forward to that opportunity October is going to come around are really fast. I mean, I thank you so much for the time today to have a quick chat. And I’m really looking forward to all those passionate people in the freighter industry in the cargo forums and just chance to hear those stories and a chance to be a part of this community. So thanks very much for the invite and the chance to have this conversation.

Jeff Lee
Thanks for your time Bob.

Jeff Lee
That was Bob Weiss, director of freighter conversions at Boeing global services. And that’s it for today. For more multimedia coverage like this search cargo facts connect on iTunes and Spotify and visit cargo facts.com. Thank you very much for tuning in, and join us again next time.