GE Commercial Aviation Services (GECAS) is to step-up the expansion of its passenger-to-freighter conversion programme, to include four Boeing 747-400s. Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) will convert the aircraft.
EVA Airways will lease the first three aircraft from GECAS in Singapore following a purchase-and-leaseback transaction with GECAS. EVA has an option to convert the fourth, which they expect to exercise shortly.
Delivery of the first converted aircraft is scheduled for the spring of 2007.
Options
"We now offer more aircraft options to air freight operators, ranging from 20t 737Fs to the larger 120t 747-400Fs," Henry Hubschman, president of GECAS, told reorters at Le Bourget on Monday.
"The growth in air freight traffic and the need to replace older, less efficient freighters is driving demand for the leased freighters we are converting from passenger use."
GECAS estimates more than half of today's freighters will be replaced over the next 20 years.
Converted aircraft leased to airlines offer attractive operating costs to meet increasing cargo demand.
GECAS, a unit of GE Commercial Finance, currently leases a converted MD-11 freighter to EVA as well as eight Airbus A330-200 passenger aircraft.
"The choice of IAI as GECAS's conversion service provider is another vote of confidence in the high-value product of IAI/Bedek's cargo conversions programme, and reflects the ongoing successful relationship on the IAI 737 and 767 conversions programmes," says IAI VP David Arzi.
EVA Airways will lease the first three aircraft from GECAS in Singapore following a purchase-and-leaseback transaction with GECAS. EVA has an option to convert the fourth, which they expect to exercise shortly.
Delivery of the first converted aircraft is scheduled for the spring of 2007.
Options
"We now offer more aircraft options to air freight operators, ranging from 20t 737Fs to the larger 120t 747-400Fs," Henry Hubschman, president of GECAS, told reorters at Le Bourget on Monday.
"The growth in air freight traffic and the need to replace older, less efficient freighters is driving demand for the leased freighters we are converting from passenger use."
GECAS estimates more than half of today's freighters will be replaced over the next 20 years.
Converted aircraft leased to airlines offer attractive operating costs to meet increasing cargo demand.
GECAS, a unit of GE Commercial Finance, currently leases a converted MD-11 freighter to EVA as well as eight Airbus A330-200 passenger aircraft.
"The choice of IAI as GECAS's conversion service provider is another vote of confidence in the high-value product of IAI/Bedek's cargo conversions programme, and reflects the ongoing successful relationship on the IAI 737 and 767 conversions programmes," says IAI VP David Arzi.
Source: Flight Daily News
