Conversions specialist EFW has secured a letter-of-intent commitment from lessor BBAM for an Airbus A321 freighter.
The narrowbody will be inducted for conversion into a 14-pallet cargo configuration in mid-2020 and is scheduled for redelivery "in end 2020", says EFW's majority shareholder, the Singaporean group ST Engineering.
EFW is jointly owned by ST Engineering and Airbus.
The German company's chief executive Andreas Sperl notes that BBAM is a new customer. "We look forward to engaging them… in the near future for follow-on conversion projects," he says.
Luxembourg-based aircraft trading and leasing company Vallair was disclosed as launch customer for the A320/A321 passenger-to-freight conversion programme at the 2018 Singapore air show. Vallair ordered 10 A321s, taking options on a further 10.
EFW leads the P2F conversion programme – which also includes the A330-200/300 – on behalf of ST Engineering and Airbus
The Singaporean group provides the engineering for the modification's supplemental type certificate, while EFW is responsible both for marketing and sales and for completing the conversions.
However, the first three A321s will be converted in Singapore, says Lim Serh Ghee, the president of ST Engineering's aerospace division, who spoke to FlightGlobal at the Paris air show on 17 June.
The first aircraft is in the process of being converted, and the fourth will be modified at ST Engineering's Chinese facility in Guangzhou, he says.
He foresees that the group will conduct A320/A321 P2F conversions in Singapore, China, Germany and the USA, depending on customer location.
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Source: Cirium Dashboard
