Alfor Plans High Volume A330 Conversion Operation At Teesside

FARNBOROUGH, England—A British aviation startup is developing a new passenger-to-freighter (PTF) conversion system for Airbus A330 aircraft to shorten turnaround time by avoiding the installation of a conventional main-deck cargo door and has announced plans for a new site at Teesside Airport, scheduled to open in 2027.

Alfor Aviation, founded in 2023 by Turkish industrial group Alarko and British aviation specialists Foravia, has developed a new conversion technology called Internal Loading System.

Instead of redesigning aircraft around large cargo doors, as is the traditional PTF method, Alfor said it has developed a system that uses existing lower-deck cargo doors and two internal elevators to move containers to the aircraft’s main deck. The company said avoiding the installation of a large cargo door will reduce structural work, conversion costs and aircraft downtime.

The first supplemental type certificate will cover A330-200 and -300 variants. As of July 2026, Alfor is completing the first conversion on a widebody aircraft acquired from lessor Zephyrus Aviation Capital. The aircraft is undergoing modification work at Mesa’s Beja, Portugal facility, the maintenance arm of Hi Fly Group. The aircraft is being used as a proof-of-concept and demonstration platform.

“We bought the first aircraft ourselves rather than waiting to convince a customer,” Omer Mafa, Alfor Aviation’s CEO & Director, told Aviation Week at the 2026 Farnborough Airshow. “That allowed us to move ahead with the proof of concept and use it as a demonstration aircraft.”

Alfor projects the physical installation work will be completed toward the end of August, with ground testing scheduled for October along with a limited flight-testing program. The approval process is ongoing with EASA, and Alfor hopes to complete this by the end of 2026.

The company is targeting a three-month conversion turnaround, compared with around nine months for a conventional PTF program. Alfor estimates that approximately two months of work could be completed outside of the hangar, with only one month needed for hangar occupancy.

Alfor estimates the conversion itself could cost about half of the typical $20 million price associated with a main-deck cargo-door modification on a widebody aircraft. It also claims the wider logistics model could reduce supplier-to-customer costs by as much as 40%, partly by allowing containers to be sealed at origin and opened only at their destination.

Designed for a payload of up to 60 metric tons, the company foresees converted aircraft of this type appealing to passenger airlines with cargo requirements, lessors seeking to extend the lives of mature A330s and e-commerce or integrated logistics operators.

Having based operations out of Bournemouth, UK to date, the company also announced long-term plans to relocate its headquarters to Teesside Airport in the north of England, around 35 miles south of Newcastle. At the Farnborough Airshow, Alfor signed a 50-year agreement with the airport to establish an on-site aircraft conversion campus, leading to the creation of 250 permanent high-skilled jobs.

With an investment of £50 million ($66.8 million), Alfor will develop a purpose-built aircraft conversion facility, including new hangars, engineering workshops and warehousing. Once fully operational, the facility will be capable of converting up to 12 passenger aircraft into freighters annually.

Construction is expected to begin shortly, with the new facilities set to be completed by the end of 2027. Alfor executives cited the UK’s pool of aerospace expertise as a major factor in its location decision, with a strong supply of engineers, sheet-metal workers and maintenance specialists available to the business.

Alfor’s Mafa said the company explored other regions inside the UK but was attracted by Teesside’s freeport status, which acts as a designated economic zone that offers businesses relief from customs duties, relaxed planning regulations and tax incentives. The airport has actively looked to expand MRO activity at the site, with the likes of Willis Aviation Services growing its maintenance footprint there, along with aircraft painting specialist Airbourne Colours and defense specialist Draken.