SINGAPORE—Singapore Technologies (ST) Engineering has inducted its first Airbus A320 for passenger-to-freighter (P2F) conversion.

It marks the beginning of the world’s first ever A320P2F conversion. Works will be carried out at ST Engineering’s Seletar facility. 

The Singapore MRO expects to take in 30 passenger aircraft for conversion this year on the back of strong freighter demand. ST Engineering told Aviation Daily that it had inducted 10 aircraft for conversion in 2020 and expected to triple that number this year. 

According to Aviation Week Intelligence Network Fleet and Data Services, ST Engineering’s A320 was formerly operated by IndiGo as VT-IHM (msn 2737). It first flew in March 2006 under Brazil’s TAM Linhas Aereas, with CIT Leasing Group as the lessor. It was returned in 2017 before starting its second life with IndiGo in April 2018 before going into storage in October 2020. In all the A320 clocked 25,159 cycles and 40,376 hrs. 

The finished A320P2F will have 10 positions on the main deck and seven in the lower deck, with a total cargo payload of 21.9 tonnes. The longer A321P2F has 14 and 10 positions on the main and lower deck respectively. 

Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW), ST Engineering’s Germany-based joint venture with Airbus, redelivered the first A321P2F to Vallair, operated by Qantas for Australia Post, in September 2020. ST Engineering said it is looking to set up new conversion lines at its facility in Guangzhou, China and U.S plant in Mobile, Alabama.