PEMCO flexes its combi muscles

PEMCO World Air Services passed a milestone yesterday in the development of its 737-700 Passenger-to-FlexCombi conversion program. Donning protective eyewear, John Chisholm, owner of Bahrain-based launch customer Chisholm Enterprises, made the final cuts in the skin of unit 30293, an ex-Yakutia 737-700 that will, following certification and redelivery, be operated by Chisholm subsidiary Texel Air. […]

• David Harris
• October 20, 2017

EFW offers “14 + 10” pallet positions on A321 P-to-F

SHANGHAI: At the Cargo Facts Asia event in Shanghai yesterday, Wolfgang Schmid, EFW’s VP Sales & Marketing, announced that the company’s A321 passenger-to-freighter conversion would offer fourteen full-size (AAY) main-deck pallet positions, plus ten LD3-45W positions in the lower hold. This, EFW says, means that its A321P2F will offer the equivalent of seventeen full-size positions, […]

• David Harris
• April 26, 2017

B/E Aerospace to lead large-door Q300 conversion program

Early this year we broke the news that Bombardier, in cooperation with Canada-based Air Inuit, was launching a large-door passenger-to-freighter conversion program for the Q300 turboprop. At that time, Bombardier said:  “In support of this conversion, a new Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) will be developed under license by a specialized third party entity.” Seven months […]

• David Harris
• October 6, 2016

The first 737-800 enters conversion at AEI

Lessor GECAS ferried a 737-800 (29121, most recently operated by Corendon Airlines) to Miami International Airport, where Aeronautical Engineers, Inc inducted it for conversion to freighter configuration. Redelivery is scheduled for mid-2017. GECAS was the launch customer for AEI’s 737-800 passenger-to-freighter conversion program (read more on that here), and this is the first -800 to enter […]

• David Harris
• May 17, 2016

Narrowbody freighters III – The conversion market

Today we conclude our three-part analysis of the narrowbody jet freighter fleet with a look at the present and future passenger-to-freighter conversion market. In Part I we provided a detailed snapshot of the current fleet – the view from 10,000 meters, so to speak. In Part II we analyzed the fleet on a type-by-type basis, and also on an […]

• David Harris
• October 19, 2015

Narrowbody freighters II – a closer look at the fleet

Yesterday, we began this year’s examination of the narrowbody freighter market with a snapshot of the current fleet – the view from 10,000 meters, so to speak. You can read Part I here, but today we turn to the close-up view, beginning with a look at the fleet on a type-by-type basis. The active narrowbody fleet […]

• David Harris
• October 15, 2015

The narrowbody freighter fleet – today and tomorrow

Today we begin a multi-part analysis of the narrowbody jet freighter fleet, both in its current state, and with some speculation about its future. We start with a snapshot of the fleet as it was in early October 2015. In the days to come we will examine the fleet in several ways – by type, by end […]

• David Harris
• October 14, 2015

Egyptair signs launch order for A330 P-to-F conversion program

EFW, the conversion and MRO arm of the Airbus Group, signed an agreement with Egyptair to convert two of the carrier’s A330-200 passenger aircraft to freighter configuration. The deal ends almost three years of speculation about a launch customer for the program, which was first announced in February 2012. Much of that speculation centered around […]

• David Harris
• December 10, 2014

A330 P2F cargo loading system milestone

US-based Ancra International successfully demonstrated the powered cargo loading system it designed for EFW’s A330-200/-300 passenger-to-freighter conversion program. Ancra said the demonstration showed the CLS’ ability to provide automated loading of a fully laden 20-foot pallet from the ground handling equipment through the simulated aircraft door and then rotate the pallet into position along the […]

• David Harris
• December 10, 2014

A new 737-300 conversion program

PEMCO World Air Services, in partnership with Canada-based Kelowna Flightcraft, is in the late stages of developing a multi-configuration 737-300 conversion program to meet the needs of Yellowknife-based carrier Canadian North, which has for some time been looking for a way to replace its four aging 737-200C aircraft. The conversion will be based on several […]

• David Harris
• August 13, 2014