Global aircraft leasing company AELF Flight Service has added a fifth Airbus A330-200 to its fleet. Registered with Maltese registration 9H-CFS, is certified to operate in a passenger-to-freighter configuration.
The A330s are operated by subsidiary Malta-based company Maleth Aero. The latest aircraft to join the fleet was flown for the very first time in November 2008 and operated for Air Comet, Royal Jordanian and Azores Airlines.
All A330s in the current fleet are configured this way. In the conversion process, passenger seats are removed and cargo nets are installed to hold parcel freight on the upper deck. In this way, capacity is added beyond that of the standard cargo holds of the passenger-carrying version.
This configuration, however, is reversible in a matter of a few weeks. AELF Flight Service plans to make such changes this year, in order to add flexibility and tailor the aircraft to specific customer demands.
“As supply chain issues drag on, the addition of 9H-CFS is our commitment to fulfilling the need for capacity in the air cargo market in the short-term, while maximizing our flexibility to return to passenger service later this year”, said Joe Cirillo, the company’s Chief Operating Officer.
In addition, it plans to add a sixth A330-200 before next summer. The aircraft will be configured as a passenger configuration version, with 295 seats. Three other aircraft, currently operating as freighters, will be reconfigured. In this way, AELF Flight Service will increase its offer during the summer season, a key time in this market.
“Configuration flexibility was attractive to us from the beginning,” said Lee Jones, President of Maleth Aero. “We looked at the option that would provide a solution for our cargo customers, but also allow us to adapt to the regulatory environment and the market,” he said.
Together with European partners, AELF Flight Service acquired a majority stake in Maleth Aero in 2020. In doing so, it expanded its charter and ACMI (provision of aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance) services.
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