Elbe Flugzeug Werke (EFW) has signed an agreement with Hainan, China-based HNA Aviation Group to convert Airbus A330 passenger aircraft into freighters starting next year.
The Nov. 12 deal, signed at the Zhuhai Airshow in China, includes establishing a facility for A330P2F (passenger-to-freighter) conversions at HNA subsidiary Grand China Aircraft Maintenance Services’ (GCAM) facility at Haikou Meilan International Airport in Hainan.
The A330P2F conversion program, launched in 2012, is a collaboration among ST Engineering, Airbus and their joint venture EFW.
HNA, which is controlled by the Fangda group, is affiliated with multiple Chinese airlines such as Hainan Airlines, which operates 28 A330s, Beijing Capital Airlines, Lucky Air and Tianjin Airlines.
HNA’s first A330 conversion is scheduled for the EFW facility in Shanghai in the first half of 2025 with an option to continue the program with another aircraft in the second half. The remaining Hainan A330s will be converted at GCAM’s site after the conversion facility has been set up.
“The entire conversion work will be in China. Europe is not in the plan,” an EFW spokeswoman told Aviation Week on Nov. 14.
EFW, based in Dresden, Germany, said it has three modification sites for its freighter conversions in China. One of these, ST Aerospace Aviation Services in Guangzhou, recently started its first A330P2F program.
“We are happy to enter into an agreement on A330P2F conversion with HNA Aviation Group, one of the largest aviation groups in China,” EFW CEO Jordi Boto said.
HNA Chairman Ding Yongzheng said demand for long-range widebody freighters is increasing, citing the “rapid recovery of the global aviation logistics market and the booming development of cross-border e-commerce.”
On Nov. 11, EFW delivered its 100th converted freighter aircraft, an A330P2F, from its facility in China. EFW delivered its first A330P2F in 2017. Since then, 47 A321s, four A320s and 49 A330s have been converted by EFW to freighter aircraft.
“EFW is the world market leader for Airbus conversion freighters and is the only provider with direct access to Airbus OEM data for aircraft to be converted,” the EFW spokeswoman said. “This enables us to offer the full range of services and set the highest quality standards.”
In previous conversion programs such as with A300 and A310 aircraft, EFW have already delivered over 200 P2Fs worldwide.
EFW says the global fleet of its converted freighters have flown 100 million flight km (54 million nm) over the past 12 months. Over 60% of the A330P2F operations were in the Asia-Pacific region and Europe, while over 75% of the converted A321 and A320 aircraft were in Asia-Pacific and Europe, the company said.
The trend to convert A330s continues. In September, Israel Aerospace Industries began work on the first A330-300 passenger to freighter conversion.
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