Avianor and AKKA partner on passenger-freighter conversions

• Jeff Lee
• May 21, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Conversions, Editorial, Equipment, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Strategy, Widebody Conversions

Montreal-based Avianor has partnered with Brussels-headquartered AKKA Technologies to have its passenger-freighter reconfiguration package approved and certified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). AKKA has also been granted rights to use the solution. Matthieu Duhaime, president and COO of Avianor, told Cargo Facts EASA approval is expected in six to eight weeks. While […]

Airbus SB to detail seat-to-pallet reconfiguration

• Charles Kauffman
• April 30, 2020
• Aircraft, All Posts, Carriers, Conversions, Editorial, Equipment, News, Widebody Conversions

Airbus plans to issue a service bulletin (SB) that outlines the procedure for reconfiguring passenger A330s and A350s to carry cargo on pallets that attach to the seat rails lining the passenger cabins. In parallel, the aerospace giant is working with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to obtain a supplemental type certificate (STC) […]

The first A350 freighters?

• Jeff Lee
• April 15, 2020
• Aircraft, Capacity & Demand, Carriers, Equipment, Logistics, News, Strategy

Finnair is modifying two passenger A350-900s to increase the aircraft’s ability to exclusively carry cargo during the COVID-19 crisis. Still a far cry from a yet-to-be-launched factory-built A350F in terms of operational characteristics, the reconfigured aircraft will soon carry cargo on the main deck. The airline confirmed to Cargo Facts that, while it is considering […]

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 Engineering, 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 […]

Qantas signs LOI for second A321F

• Jeff Lee
• February 12, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Conversions, Equipment, Narrowbody Conversions, News

Australian carrier Qantas has signed a letter of intent with Keystone Holdings to convert and lease an A321P2F, the airline’s second freighter of the kind. The aircraft is expected to be redelivered by the end of 2021, after conversion at the ST Aerospace facility in Singapore (XSP) by Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW), a joint venture between […]

CAAC certifies additional 737 NG conversions

• Jeff Lee
• January 20, 2020
• Aircraft, Carriers, Conversions, Narrowbody Conversions, News

The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) has certified both the 737-700BDSF by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and the 737-800SF by Aeronautical Engineers Inc. (AEI), paving the way for the introduction of the two freighter-converted aircraft types by Chinese operators. All three 737 NG conversion programs currently certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are now also certified by the CAAC, which granted approval for Boeing’s […]

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 […]

DHL takes redelivery of first freighter-converted A330-300F

• Charles Kauffman
• December 1, 2017
• Aircraft, Conversions, E-Commerce, Express, News

It has been a busy quarter for EFW, which today redelivered the first freighter-converted A330-300F (116, ex-Malaysia Airlines) to launch customer DHL.  Although EFW, the 55/45 joint venture of ST Aerospace and Airbus, originally announced the A330-300 conversion program in 2012, the program has progressed rapidly this quarter with major milestones such as the first […]