Alaska Airlines is evaluating Cascade Aerospace and China Airlines (CAL) as potential cargo-conversion centres for five Boeing 737-400s.
Taiwan's Inter-Continental Aircraft Services (ICAS) won a contract in July to convert the aircraft into combis and freighters, but ICAS and Alaska have yet to agree on a conversion centre. ICAS first proposed converting the aircraft at Taiwanese maintenance company Air Asia, but Alaska Airlines rejected this after auditing Air Asia (Flight International, 7-13 September).
Industry sources say ICAS, which prefers the aircraft be converted in Taiwan rather than the USA, is trying to arrange a visit by Alaska to CAL's maintenance facility. But Canada-based Cascade, which specialises in 737 maintenance, is close to Alaska's Seattle headquarters and is also pursuing the work.
The conversion "won't be happening in Taiwan", says an Alaska Airlines source, and Cascade is the only other company under consideration. A decision must be made this year because the first 737-400 is due for delivery to a conversion centre in April. Meanwhile, ICAS and partner Flight Structures have begun preliminary engineering work to prepare for the first conversion.
* Boeing has boosted Taikoo (Xiamen) Aircraft Engineering's subcontract for 747-400 Special Freighter conversions by 20, to 33 aircraft.
Source: Flight International
