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 […]

DHL to add a pair of 737-800Fs

• Charles Kauffman
• January 14, 2020
• Aircraft, Conversions, Equipment, Exclusive, Narrowbody Conversions, News

DHL Express plans to add to its fleet a pair of freighter-converted 737-800BDSFs, Cargo Facts has learned. Both aircraft are owned by Spectre Air Capital and were converted to freighter configuration by Israel Aerospace Industries’ Aviation Group, or IAI, at the company’s MRO facility in Tel Aviv (TLV). Following conversion, the aircraft (28619, ex-Pegasus and […]

PEMCO’s 737-700 FlexCombi completes FAA certification flights, nears STC

• Charles Kauffman
• December 19, 2019
• Aircraft, Conversions, Equipment, Narrowbody Conversions

Yesterday, PEMCO completed flight testing with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for its 737-700 FlexCombi conversion program. The conformity aircraft (30293, an ex-Yakutia) landed in Tampa (TPA) at 3:53PM local time after passing a smoke intrusion test – the last in a series of flight tests with the FAA ahead of the program’s receipt of […]

Boeing pauses 737 MAX production in effort to slow cash burn

• Bloomberg News
• December 16, 2019
• Aircraft, Bloomberg, Equipment

(Bloomberg) –Boeing Co. will halt production of the grounded 737 MAX in January, a move that will deepen the crisis engulfing the planemaker, complicate its eventual recovery and ripple through the U.S. economy. Employees at the Seattle-area factory where the MAX is built will continue 737-related work or be temporarily reassigned to other programs, the […]

Grounded IAI-converted 737Fs returning to service following approval of interim fix

• Charles Kauffman
• December 15, 2019
• Aircraft, Conversions, Equipment, Exclusive, Narrowbody Conversions

On Dec. 11, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) informed operators of a manufacturing noncompliance issue with the rigid barrier (9G) systems installed on some IAI-converted 737s freighter causing operators to temporarily ground up to 40 aircraft. On Friday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued an Airworthiness Directive (AD) approving an interim fix and by Saturday, some […]

FAA Won’t Clear 737 Max Fixes Until 2020, Agency Chief Says

• Bloomberg News
• December 12, 2019
• All Posts, Bloomberg, News

U.S. government approvals needed to return Boeing Co.’s 737 Max to the skies won’t be completed until 2020, the top U.S. aviation regulator said Wednesday, dashing the company’s hopes to complete key milestones this year needed to end the aircraft’s nine-month grounding. “If you do the math, it’s going to extend into 2020,” Federal Aviation […]

FAA, Boeing backpedal on repair approval hurdle for freighter conversions

• Charles Kauffman
• November 1, 2019
• Aircraft, Conversions, Equipment, Exclusive, Narrowbody Conversions, News, Widebody Conversions

Boeing and the FAA have come to terms on how to approve structural repairs for freighter conversions and other aircraft altered by a non-Boeing STC, as long as the repair does not encompass an area affected by the STC. Earlier this month, Boeing told customers that STC holders would be responsible for approving all structural […]

CFS 2019: Reducing the cost of engine ownership

• Jeff Lee
• October 24, 2019
• Aircraft, Cargo Facts Symposium, CFS 2019 - Airborne Global Video Series, Engines, Narrowbody Conversions, Strategy, Video

SAN DIEGO – As more next-generation narrowbody aircraft become suitable for conversion into freighter configuration, lessors and operators are increasingly hoping to lower the costs associated with owning engines that power these airframes. During Cargo Facts Symposium’s first ever panel dedicated to engine issues with regard to narrowbody conversions, Aileen Barton, marketing manager of GE […]