First A320P2F arrives in India for new airline
The Airbus freighter was completed earlier this year
U.A.E.-based Vaayu Group has taken delivery of the world’s first A320-200P2F after its conversion with Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW) and formally handed the aircraft over to Pradhaan Air Express, a new India-based cargo airline.
The 2006-vintage unit 2737 (ex-IndiGo), which arrived in Delhi (DEL) July 16, is on lease from ST Engineering and on sublease to Pradhaan Air Express, Vaayu Group confirmed to Cargo Facts. The Indian startup intends to use the freighter for domestic and international charters, according to a recent statement.
Vaayu added that it expects its second A320P2F on lease from ST, the 2006-vintage unit 2724 (ex-Orange2Fly), to complete conversion by early December 2022. That aircraft arrived at the ST Engineering facility in Singapore (XSP) in March 2022 for conversion.
Kenya-based Astral Aviation, which previously announced it would sublease the aircraft from Vaayu Group, recently told Cargo Facts that Pradhaan in Hindi translates to “Prime.”
EFW, which received the STC for its A320P2F program in March, has also attracted the attention of China Southern Airlines (CSA) Leasing, which recently signed a memorandum of understanding with ST Engineering for ten A320P2F conversions.
EFW won’t enjoy a monopoly on having approval for A320 freighter conversions for long; California-based C Cubed Aerospace is nearing completion of its first A320-200CCF and expects to earn its STC for the type by yearend.
The company first began working on its prototype unit in 2019 with the induction of the 2001-vintage unit 1523 (ex-Sky Airline) at the Alta Aero Technic facility in Kansas City (MCI).
Meanwhile, India will soon be home to another Airbus freighter operator, with IndiGo recently telling Cargo Facts that it expects to take delivery of its first A321P2F on lease from Castlelake around August.
