AIRE (Aircraft Interior Refurbishment España), has announced its first collaboration with the Philippines carrier, CEBU PACIFIC AIR (CEB), to convert two of its eight A330s to fly in full cargo configuration to address the demand brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
AIRE worked alongside the CEBU engineering team meeting the seven-day lead time of the project.
The cargo conversion has been submitted to the authorities for exemption under Article 71 (a) for a period of eight months, with hopes to secure full approval for flying in cargo configuration shortly.
“This project is a step toward solidifying the position of AIRE as an established Part 21J company in the cabin interiors market”, states Mr. Juan Arevalo, Engineering Director within AIRE. “The project was challenging since the beginning, but thanks to our tireless team and the experience accumulated on cargo operations over the previous months, we completed the project in compliance with structural integrity, Fire protection, and emergency evacuation requirements following EASA, IATA, and TCH recommendations, all in one week.” continues Mr. Arevalo. “We thank CEB for the trust and confidence, and we hope that this successful project will mark the beginning of a long-term and win-win collaboration”.
“We saw this pandemic as an opportunity to revisit our operations to further improve wherever possible. Now more than ever, transport of goods must not be hampered, and the A330 reconfiguration will help us address the growing demand with a cabin fully dedicated for cargo.
These converted aircraft will effectively enable us to carry more goods while doing so in a more efficient manner compared to regular A330s that rely on belly space” says Alex Reyes, Vice president for Commercial at Cebu Pacific.
