Aircraft leasing company AerCap today announced a new agreement with aerospace manufacturer Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW) for up to thirty Airbus A321 conversions from their original passenger version to freighters.
As reported by both companies, AerCap placed a firm order for fifteen Airbus A321P2F (Passenger-to-Freighter) aircraft. The agreement includes an option for fifteen additional conversions. All the airplanes are currently part of AerCap’s passenger aircraft portfolio and deliveries are expected to take place between 2023 and 2025.
“The Airbus A321 freighter is the best-in-class and most fuel-efficient aircraft to replace the Boeing 757-200”, said Rich Greener, Head of AerCap Cargo. He also noted that conversions will extend the useful life of the aircraft. This will provide a solution for companies interested in having this type of cargo aircraft in their fleets.
With the addition of a self-operated aircraft dedicated exclusively to air cargo, a growing number of carriers are looking to take advantage of the growth of the e-commerce market and air freight in general.
The Airbus A321P2F is the converted freighter version of the largest variant of the A320 family. It has fourteen container positions on the main deck and a further ten in the lower cargo holds. It can carry a payload of up to 27 tonnes. According to Airbus, it has a maximum range of up to 3.800 kilometres, depending on flight characteristics and aircraft weight.
The conversions are currently being carried out under a programme developed by Airbus and its joint venture, Elbe FlugzeugWerke, and ST Engineering, a multinational technology and engineering group with a major aerospace division. The A320 and A321 conversion programme was launched in 2015 as an initiative of the three companies.
See also: EFW and ST Engineering deliver the world’s first Airbus A320P2F
