Conversion firm Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH (EFW) and MRO Turkish Technic will collaborate on A330P2F (passenger to freighter) conversions.
The collaboration will see Turkish Technic, certified as a Part 145 and Part 21 J&G organization, becoming the first MRO company to provide third-party conversion solutions for the A330P2F programme by EFW.
The first A330P2F conversion for EFW is planned to be carried out at Turkish Technic’s facility in Istanbul in the third quarter of 2023.
“We have a growing P2F order book which mirrors a strong market demand for Airbus freighter conversions, with the A330P2F programme being increasingly considered as the preferred next-generation platform in the medium to widebody category,” said Jordi Boto, chief executive of EFW. “Through our collaboration with Turkish Technic, which has deep experience in maintaining Airbus aircraft, we will ensure meeting our customer commitments in a robust manner.”
Turkish Technic chairman of the board Ahmet Bolat commented: “As the air cargo sector is experiencing extremely strong and steady growth, conversions have become an efficient solution to meet operator’s needs, thus creating an opportunity for aircraft manufacturers, MROs, airlines, and leasing companies. “We are happy to cooperate with EFW in their A330P2F programme. Passenger-to-fighter conversions require a combination of industry-leading expertise, structural skills, and operational excellence. “With extensive know-how and close collaboration with suppliers, we are always well-equipped to provide technical services and solutions for our customers. We look forward to expanding our partnership further with EFW.”
EFW’s A330P2F programme is developed in collaboration with ST Engineering and Airbus, with EFW holding the Supplemental Type Certificate and leading in the overall programme as well as marketing & sales efforts.
The A330P2F programme comes with two variants – the A330-200P2F and A330-300P2F. The A330-200P2F can carry a gross payload of up to 61 tons of weight to over 7,700 km, while the larger A330-300P2F can carry a gross payload of up to 63 tons and a containerized volume of up to 526 m3.
To meet the rising demand for freighter conversions, ST Engineering and EFW have set up new conversion sites in China and the US in the last one to two years to ramp up total conversion capacity for all their Airbus P2F programmes comprising the A330P2F, A320P2F, and A321P2F. EFW recently announced it had completed 20 A330-300P2F conversions.
