Gallery: Boeing's PTF Conversion Line At London Gatwick

Boeing opened its MRO facility at London Gatwick Airport in late 2019, originally to support Boeing's fleet care program Goldcare, which the company sunsetted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Located near its existing Gatwick training campus, the hangar has a volume of around 160,000 ft.². Its MRO capabilities include base maintenance, line maintenance, lease transitions and modifications work on Boeing 737NG and MAX, 777 and 787 aircraft.

In October 2021, Boeing confirmed plans to open its first passenger-to-freighter (PTF) conversion line at Gatwick for the Boeing 737-800—bringing a new line of work to the site. The line opened this year, with the first project underway for Icelandic-based lessor Icelease. Dublin-headquartered ASL Aviation Holdings, which in March announced an order for 20 additional BCFs, also plans to convert 737-800s at the facility.

As part of the freighter conversion work, technicians at the site will replace the passenger cabin with an interior designed for a cargo setup and add a large cargo door. Boeing says any scheduled maintenance checks on the aircraft are completed alongside the modification.

Capacity is a big driver of the decision to add a PTF conversion line at Gatwick. Kate Schaefer, Boeing's Vice President of commercial modifications, engineering and specialty products, says the aircraft manufacturer is looking to expand its footprint in PTF conversion lines. "There is a real focus on capacity—there is big demand for capacity at the moment so we're running lines all over the world," she says.

The new conversion line will support around 130 jobs overall working on both commercial lines.