EFW completes inaugural China contract with delivery of eighth A330-200P2F to Air China Cargo
German aircraft conversion specialist Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW) has delivered its eighth Airbus A330-200 passenger-to-freighter (P2F) aircraft to Air China Cargo, marking the successful completion of its first major freighter conversion programme in China.
The milestone delivery concludes a multi-aircraft contract that underscores EFW’s expanding footprint in the Chinese market and highlights the growing demand for widebody freighter capacity in the region. EFW is a joint venture between ST Engineering and Airbus, specialising in Airbus freighter conversions.
According to EFW, the A330-200 P2F programme for Air China Cargo was engineered and planned in Dresden, Germany, while the physical conversion work was carried out by Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering Corporation Limited (Ameco) at its Chengdu facility. The site is one of eight international conversion locations within EFW’s global P2F network.
The first A330-200 aircraft under the programme was inducted for conversion in the first quarter of 2023, with the final aircraft formally handed over on 14 January during a ceremony in Chengdu. Ameco is responsible for maintenance across the entire Air China fleet, providing strong operational synergies for the programme.
EFW and Ameco have been collaborating since July 2022, with the partnership extending beyond conversion activity to include technical cooperation, personnel exchanges and specialist training at both organisations’ facilities. EFW experts were also deployed on-site in China to support specific phases of the conversion process, as well as to conduct quality assurance checks and final acceptance procedures prior to delivery.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Torsten Kühn, head of EFW’s conversion programme, highlighted the strategic importance of the project for both partners.
“We take great pride in the successful collaboration between the teams of Air China Cargo and Ameco in the conversion of our inaugural China fleet. We look forward to continuing our partnership for many years to come,” Kühn said.
Ameco’s chief executive Shen Min described the completion of the programme as a foundation for deeper cooperation going forward.
“The delivery of the first aircraft was the starting point of our cooperation, and today’s full delivery is the prologue of a new stage of cooperation,” Shen said.
Following the completion of the Air China Cargo programme, Ameco and EFW plan to advance into a new phase of global P2F project cooperation, reinforcing their joint capabilities in widebody freighter conversions and positioning both companies to serve growing demand from airlines and cargo operators worldwide.
