Against the backdrop of strong demand in the air global market, ST Engineering and Airbus’ joint venture, Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW), today announced an order for four Airbus A321 Passenger-to-Freighter (P2F) conversions from a new customer, GTLK Europe, a top-tier global leasing company based in Dublin, Ireland. Three of the four aircraft will be inducted for conversion this year, with the fourth conversion to be carried out in 2022.
“We are delighted to welcome GTLK Europe as the latest member of our growing customer base,” said Andreas Sperl, CEO of EFW.“Interest in our A321P2F conversion solution has been on a significant rise over the past one year or so, and we are committed to satisfying the growing market demand with on-time redeliveries by ramping up conversion lines with our parent company, ST Engineering.”
Roman Lyadov, CEO of GTLK Europe, said, “The next-generation Airbus A321P2F freighter aircraft, which delivers best-in-class capability and fuel efficiency in the single-aisle freighter segment, is an important complement to our portfolio as we support our customers to meet increasing demand in the express and e-commerce cargo market.”
The A321P2F is the first in its size category to offer containerized loading in both the main (up to 14 full container positions) and lower deck (up to 10 container positions). With a generous gross payload capability of up to 28 metric tons (about 61,800 lbs) over 2,300 nautical miles, the A321P2F is the ideal narrowbody freighter aircraft for express domestic and regional operations.
EFW’s A321P2F conversion programme is a collaboration between ST Engineering, Airbus and EFW, and is the only OEM solution for A321P2F in the market. To meet the rising global demand for dedicated freighter aircraft, ST Engineering and EFW introduced a conversion site in China in end of 2020 and will be setting up another in the U.S. in 2021. Expansion plans are also in the works to support the rising demand for the widebody A330P2F programme, which is currently carried out at EFW’s facility in Dresden, Germany.
Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH (EFW), a joint venture between ST Engineering and Airbus combines various aviation and technology activities under a single roof: development and manufacturing of fiber-reinforced composite components for aircraft structures and interiors of the entire Airbus family, the conversion of passenger aircraft into freighter configuration, maintenance, and repair of Airbus aircraft as well as engineering services in the context of certification and approval. The company has a workforce of about 1,600 employees and achieved revenues of approximately €300 million in 2019.
ST Engineering is a global technology, defence, and engineering group with offices across Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the U.S., serving customers in more than 100 countries. The Group uses technology and innovation to solve real-world problems and improve lives through its diverse portfolio of businesses across the aerospace, smart city, defence, and public security segments.
Headquartered in Singapore, ST Engineering reported revenue of $7.2b in FY2020 and ranks among the largest companies listed on the Singapore Exchange. It is a component stock of the FTSE Straits Times Index, MSCI Singapore, iEdge SG ESG Transparency Index and iEdge SG ESG Leaders Index.
GTLK EuropeGTLK Europe, a top-tier global leasing company based in Dublin, Ireland, offers aviation leasing solutions worldwide. Its diversified portfolio of owned, managed, and committed aircraft types from leading manufacturers includes single-aisle and twin-aisle passenger aircraft and freighter aircraft to serve customer demand for short-, medium-, and long-haul operations. Its dedicated teams in Dublin (Europe), Moscow (Russia), Dubai (Middle East), and Hong Kong (Asia) are committed to meeting the specific needs of each customer. GTLK Europe has a fleet over 70 aircraft worth more than 2.4 billion USD.
