US lessor Air Transport Services Group (ATSG) expects to soon take delivery of the first of 29 Airbus A330-300 Passenger-to-Freighter (P2F) jets it has on order.
New York-headquartered ATSG said that it expects this year to take deliveries of its first four A330P2Fs from Dresden-based Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW), a joint venture between ST Engineering and Airbus.
“The first two aircraft freighter conversions are expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2025,” ATSG says.
The A330-200P2F can carry a 62t payload, with a maximum range of 3,699nm (6,850km), according to Airbus.
ATSG says that the A330P2F has capabilities similar to its ageing Boeing 767s “for medium widebody airlift, with additional space and greater range”.
The jets will be positioned with ATSG subsidiary Cargo Aircraft Management (CAM), which acquires used passenger aircraft for cargo conversion and leases them to Amazon, DHL and ATSG’s subsidiary airlines.
CAM expects to take up to six A330P2Fs through next year.
ATSG is also anticipating several A321s converted for cargo. ATSG developed the design for the A321P2F with Precision Aircraft Solutions, receiving a supplemental type certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration for the configuration in 2021.
The company’s year-end 10K filing shows that six A321 aircraft are currently receiving cargo modifications.
The narrowbody type is “well suited for air-express service and e-commerce fulfilment over shorter routes with smaller payloads than the Boeing 767,” ATSG says. ”The A321 can operate with greater fuel efficiency than the comparable freighter aircraft variants of the Boeing 737 and Boeing 757.”
ATSG ended 2024 with a total of 148 owned and leased aircraft in its fleet, which is mostly comprised of 767s.
Last year, ATSG agreed to be purchased for $3.1 billion by New York investment firm Stonepeak. The deal, which would make ATSG a private company, was approved by shareholders on 20 February.
The company says it its currently working with the US Department of Transportation to complete the deal, which is tracking to close in the second quarter.
