EFW redelivers final A330-200P2F to EgyptAir leaving DHL as sole confirmed customer for A330P2Fs

• Charles Kauffman
• November 13, 2019
• Aircraft, Conversions, Equipment, Widebody Conversions

EFW, the conversion house that is a 55/45 joint venture between ST Engineering Aerospace and Airbus, redelivered an A330-200P2F (610) to Egyptair [FAT 005235]. EFW’s current order book for A330 conversions stands at five A330-300s for DHL Express, with options for ten more. The EgyptAir freighter, which was converted from feedstock that was previously operated […]

Airbus awarded EASA cert for BelugaXL, service entry expected in 2020

• Charles Kauffman
• November 13, 2019
• Aircraft, Equipment, Production Freighters

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has awarded Airbus Type Certification for its BelugaXL freighter based on the A330-200F platform. The aircraft is expected to enter service by early 2020, according to a release from Airbus. Airbus unveiled the first completed BelugaXL in Toulouse in June 2018 (1824). A second unit (1853) was completed in […]

Qatar Airways adds 20th 777F

• Jeff Lee
• November 11, 2019
• Aircraft, Carriers, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, News, Production Freighters, Strategy

Qatar Airways has taken delivery of its twentieth 777F (66338) from Boeing [FAT 005234]. The airline is expected to take another before the year is over. With a freighter fleet of twenty-seven own-operated widebody aircraft, Qatar Airways presently operates the most freighters of any combination carrier in the world. Beyond that, Qatar Airways has five more […]

Airbus held back by production snag with rival Boeing in crisis

• Bloomberg News
• October 30, 2019
• Bloomberg, Equipment, News

Airbus SE cut its full-year delivery target and said cash flow will be lower than expected as it struggles to capitalize on the grounding of Boeing Co.’s 737 Max. The company now expects to hand over about 20 fewer jets than it previously forecast as production challenges slow output of A320neo-series aircraft, it said in […]

Cargo Facts Symposium Day 1: key takeaways

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• October 18, 2019
• Cargo Facts Symposium, Conversions, Equipment, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Widebody Conversions

SAN DIEGO – A crowd of distinguished air cargo executives gathered for Cargo Facts Symposium 2019, held at the Intercontinental San Diego. Although the air cargo industry faces uncertainty on multiple fronts such as trade and political headwinds, and aircraft program complications, delegates remain overwhelmingly upbeat on long-term growth prospects for the industry. A few […]

First UPS A300F with upgraded avionics starts flight tests with Airbus

• Jeff Lee
• October 2, 2019
• Aircraft, Carriers, News, Strategy

The first UPS A300-600F (868) to receive modernized cockpit avionics from Airbus has started flight tests with the manufacturer. After having operated several test flights around Toulouse (TLS) since Sept. 12, 2019, Airbus took the aircraft on a test flight away from mainland France for the first time today, operating a round trip between TLS […]

Airbus GMF forecasts 2,500 freighters to be added over the next two decades

• Charles Kauffman
• September 18, 2019
• Aircraft, Conversions, Editorial, Equipment, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Production Freighters, Widebody Conversions

Airbus forecasts a total of 2,800 freighters will be in service by 2038 a net increase of 1,000 units from today’s totals, the company stated in its Global Market Forecast (GMF) released this week. Despite the recent slowdown in airfreight growth, Airbus is more bullish on the freighter market compared to previous years on the […]

BBAM quietly forays into next-gen narrowbody conversions

• Jeff Lee
• September 11, 2019
• Aircraft, Carriers, Conversions, Narrowbody Conversions, Strategy

San Francisco-headquartered BBAM is gradually expanding its footprint in the next-generation narrowbody conversion space, and with the recent redeliveries to China Postal Airlines, the lessor has become the first known lessor to have ordered conversions for both the 737 NG and the A321. China Postal received its first 737-800BCF in August 2019 and the second […]