EFW granted STC for A321P2F

• Jeff Lee
• February 21, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Conversions, Equipment, Exclusive, Narrowbody Conversions, News

Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW), the joint venture between Airbus and ST Aerospace, has received the supplemental type certificate (STC) for its A321P2F program from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. EFW told Cargo Facts that EASA granted the certificate Feb. 20, so A321P2F conversions can begin to be redelivered. But EFW said that the first aircraft […]

CF EMEA: Titan Airways plans expansion with A321Fs

• Jeff Lee
• February 12, 2020
• Aircraft, Cargo Facts EMEA 2020 - Video Series, Carriers, Conversions, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Strategy

FRANKFURT — U.K.-based Titan Airways plans to enlarge its presence in the freighter market with the introduction of three freighter-converted A321Fs. The first unit (1238, ex-Thomas Cook Airlines) was inducted for conversion by Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW) in Singapore (XSP) in January and is expected to be redelivered by the end of the year, on lease […]

BBAM expands fleet of 737-800BCFs

• Jeff Lee
• February 11, 2020
• Aircraft, Conversions, Equipment, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Strategy

BBAM has placed an order for three more 737-800BCFs from Boeing [FATs 005323-005325]. The lessor, which has already taken redelivery of two 737-800BCFs, will take three 737-800s from its existing portfolio of 134 and convert them into freighter configuration. The first aircraft will be converted by Boeing at the Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Company Ltd. […]

Second EFW A321P2F heads to conversion facility in Singapore

• Jeff Lee
• December 27, 2019
• Aircraft, Conversions, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Strategy

An A321-200 (1238, ex-Thomas Cook Airlines) that will become Elbe Flugzeugwerke’s (EFW) second A321P2F was ferried to Singapore (XSP) on Christmas Day. San Francisco-headquartered BBAM confirmed to Cargo Facts that it is managing this aircraft and that it will soon be inducted for conversion into freighter configuration [FAT 005272]. The 20-year-old A321 was stored in Manchester […]

Malaysia Airlines to keep three A330Fs – for now

• Jeff Lee
• October 9, 2019
• Aircraft, Carriers, News, Production Freighters, Strategy

Malaysia Airlines is happy with the size of its freighter fleet for now and will instead focus more on strategic collaboration to achieve growth, the carrier tells Cargo Facts. But the airline says that, while there are no immediate plans to alter the cargo fleet, it is keeping its options open and may even decide […]

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 […]

China Postal fleet renewal accelerates with redelivery of second 737-800BCF

• Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee
• September 6, 2019
• Aircraft, All Posts, Carriers, Conversions, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Strategy

And then there were two. China Postal Airlines has taken redelivery of its second 737-800BCF (30787, ex-China Southern Airlines), on lease from BBAM [FATs 005125-5126]. The aircraft departed Jinan Airport (TNA) following conversion by Boeing at Taikoo (Shandong) Aircraft Engineering Co., Ltd. (STAECO). After a stop at Seoul Incheon Airport (ICN), the aircraft arrived at […]

China Postal receives first 737-800BCF

• Charles Kauffman
• August 8, 2019
• Aircraft, All Posts, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, E-Commerce, Express, Features, Freighter Aircraft Transactions, News, Strategy

Earlier this week, China Postal Airlines took redelivery of its first 737-800BCF (30786, ex-China Southern Airlines), on lease from BBAM [FATs 005087-005088]. The air arm of China Post expects to become the first 737-800BCF operator in China, though we note it was not actually the first Chinese carrier to take redelivery of a -800BCF. That […]