The rise of the Airbus A321 conversion program

The A321 aircraft series debuted with the A321-100, which entered service with Lufthansa in 1994. Only about 90 were produced, and some were later converted to the A321-200 variant. Airbus initiated development of the heavier, longer-range variant in 1995, aiming to make it suitable for transcontinental flights. The A321-200 first took flight in December 1996 and entered commercial service with Monarch Airlines in April 1997. In May of the same year, Middle East Airlines received its first A321-200. As of October 2023, more than 2,900 A321s have entered service, with more than 2,500 still in active duty. Its direct competitors include the 757-200 and the 737-900/900ER. Airbus Freighter Conversion GmbH initiated a program in TKTK in 2020 to convert A321 and A320 aircraft into freighters. The conversions are performed by Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH (EFW) in Dresden, Germany, and in Zhukovsky, Russia. AerCap , now the world’s largest aviation leasing company, was announced as the launch customer in July 2008 with an agreement to convert 30 of its passenger A320/A321s into the A320/A321P2F variant. However, due to high demand for used airframes for the passenger market, Airbus in 2011 announced that it would cease the passenger-to-freighter (P2F) conversion program. Current Conversion Programs ST Aerospace A321-200P2F In June 2015, Singapore-based ST Aerospace signed agreements with Airbus and EFW for a collaboration to launch the A320/A321 P2F conversion program. In August 2019, Qantas Freight (Express Freighters Australia) became the launch operator for the A321P2F converted freighter, exclusively serving Australia Post , under a seven-year contract. In January 2020, the first A321P2F took to the skies , carrying out its first post-conversion flight over Singapore for approximately 20 minutes. The A321-200P2F later received a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) from EASA in February 2020, with the FAA STC following in September 2020. According to the CH Aviation database, there are 26 A321P2Fs in active service. 321 Precision Conversions A321-200PCF A joint venture between Air Transport Services Group (ATSG) and Precision Aircraft Solutions’ 321 Precision Conversions announced the A321-200PCF program in July 2020. The first A321-200PCF was sighted during a taxi test outside the Avocet MRO facility at Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB). The aircraft completed its first flight in October 2020, and received its STC from the FAA in April 2021. According to the CH Aviation database, 13 A321-200PCFs are in active service. Sine Draco Aviation A321SDF Sine Draco Aviation , an aviation development company with locations in the United States and China, in October 2018 announced plans to launch a P2F conversion program for the A321-200. The conformity aircraft (963, ex- AtlasGloba l) for the A321-200SDF airplane was inducted for conversion in October 2021, at Ascent Aviation Services ' facility in Tucson (TUS). Completion of the conversion to the all-freight configuration was expected by the first quarter of 2023, with FAA STC approval anticipated by early Q2 2023, according to Sine Draco's website. As of Q4 2023, however, there have been no reported developments and, according to Flightradar24.com, the aircraft's first flight has yet to occur. In a 2021 interview with Cargo Facts Consulting ’s sister publication, Cargo Facts , Sine Draco stated that it was focused on certifying the aircraft before announcing a launch customer. Feedstock availability Feedstock availability is critical to the success of any conversion program. For the A321-200, there is a substantial pool of available aircraft. Airbus continues to produce the A321-200neo (new engine option), ensuring a steady supply for the foreseeable future. Based on CF Insights analysis, it is likely that the current engine option (CEO) feedstock will be prioritized for conversion ahead of the NEO option, owing to its lower market value. The chart below represents all available A321-200 aircraft based on Cargo Facts Consulting’s analysis of the CH-Aviation database as of Oct. 6, 2023. This chat includes all active and inactive A321 freighters. Takeaways: Of the 38 A321 freighters that have been converted, 21 are equipped with CFM International CFM56 engines, while the remaining 17 are powered by Pratt & Whitney V2500 engines. Approximately 63% of all 321Fs are based in Europe, with SmartLynx and Titan Airways operating 43% of the entire fleet; The average age of the active 321 fleet is 20.6 years, with the oldest unit being 25.7 years old, while the youngest aircraft, operated by Lufthansa, is 11.5 years old ; and There are currently twenty-seven aircraft being converted. Key Operators Qantas Freight (Express Freighters Australia) Qantas initially announced the addition of three converted 321 freighters in October 2020 . However, this grew to nine in 2022 , and then to twelve in 2023 . Currently, Qantas has three P2Fs in active service. An investor presentation filed with the Australian Securities Exchange revealed that nine more A321 freighters will join the fleet in phases: three by June 2024, two by June 2025, three by June 2026 and one by June 2027. While unconfirmed, it's expected that these will all be A321P2Fs to maintain fleet consistency. Titan Airways Titan Airways received its first A321P2F in January 2021 and added a fourth in in July 2023. In a July interview with Cargo Facts , Commercial Director Alex Harrington hinted at adding a fifth A321-200P2F to the fleet. Lufthansa Cargo (Lufthansa CityLine) Lufthansa Cargo started operating the A321F in March 2022. The carrier leased its first A321-200P2F (3504) from BBAM — the lessor’s third A321-200P2F conversion with EFW — in February 2022 and took its second (1988) in September that same year. In 2023, the carrier added its third A321P2F, the youngest A321 passenger-to-freighter conversion redelivered to date. Lufthansa Cargo is expecting a fourth A321-200P2F by the end of the year. SmartLynx Airlines Malta SmartLynx set a lofty goal of acquiring a fleet of up to twenty A321Fs by the end of 2023. As of this month, Smartlynx has three A321-200PCFs and two A321-200P2Fs in ACMI operation for DHL Express in Europe, along with an A321-200PCF (2003) flying between Santo Domingo (SDQ) and Miami (MIA) on behalf of Dominican Republic-based Sky Cana . Another P2F is in service with SmartLynx Airlines Malta , while two more aircraft are approaching redelivery, bringing SmartLynx's total to nine aircraft. SmartLynx has a mixed fleet of PCFs and P2Fs which are leased from three lessors, Vallair , Aero Capital Solutions and Cross Ocean Partners . Other airlines currently operating the A321F are Global X , Air Asia , IndiGo Airlines , SalamAir and MNG Airlines . Recent news Bismillah Airlines This summer, Bismillah Airlines selected the 321 Precision Conversions STC for its fleet as it prepares to add its first Airbus narrowbody freighters. The airline expects to start flying the freighter after Chinese New Year in February 2024, to mainland China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Thailand and South Korea. The airline plans to add a second A321PCF in Q3 2024. Bismillah will dry lease the two units and hinted that, if all goes well, it may add more in 2025. Swiftair Swiftair will add its first Airbus narrowbody freighters and start flying two A321-200Fs in 2024. The two freighters will be EFW conversions that Swiftair will lease from AerCap, with deliveries around April and June 2024. Swiftair primarily flies for DHL Express, which has access to A321 freighters in Europe through ACMI arrangements with SmartLynx. Spectre Air Capital Spectre Air Capital has started sending A321-200s for conversion. The first aircraft arrived at the HAECO facility in Xiamen (XMN) and will be converted on 321 Precision Conversions STC. Spectre’s A321-200PCF conversions will run through at least late 2024 , and the lessor told Cargo Facts that it has secured placements for at least some of the freighters. Summary and Outlook We've seen the rise of three key conversion programs: ST Aerospace A321-200P2F, 321 Precision Conversions A321-200PCF and Sine Draco Aviation A321-200SDF. These aircraft are meeting diverse market needs, with key operators like Qantas Freight, Titan Airways, and Lufthansa Cargo increasingly relying on converted A321 freighters. In an industry in which efficiency and adaptability are crucial, Airbus' A321 freighter conversion programs have positioned the company as a formidable competitor in the narrow-body freighter market. As the A321 freighter gains more attention and use, its role in the world of cargo aviation seems set to grow. Looking ahead, the A321 promises to be a cornerstone in global trade and logistics, offering a cost-effective and efficient solution for worldwide cargo transportation needs.

The rise of the Airbus A321 conversion program

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