 |
The long-expected launch of an Airbus A320/A321 cargo conversion programme moved a step closer at ILA with the signing of a letter of intent between the manufacturer, EADS sister company EFW and RSK MiG and Irkut of Russia.
The agreement calls for a feasibility study to be completed this year in time for an industrial launch decision early next year, says Dresden, Germany-based conversion specialist EFW’s chief executive Horst Emker. The Russian side would take 50% of the workshare, with EFW and Airbus holding 30% and 20%, respectively.
Emker says the partners forecast a market for 900 narrowbody cargo conversions in the 20 years from 2011, the year in which the first A320 freighter could be delivered.
The success of the project will depend on the availability of candidate aircraft. Most previous conversion programmes have been launched on the back of a commitment from major express package carriers such as DHL and FedEx, which look for large fleets of commonly specified aircraft.
It is estimated 600,000-700,000 man-hours of engineering design work will be needed for the A320 conversion, which would include a forward cargo door and possibly strengthened floorbeams.
It is envisaged Irkut would perform some detailed design and would manufacture the kits, while RSK MiG would carry out installation at a factory near Moscow.
The first conversion would be performed in Dresden under an Airbus type certificate. As production ramps up from 2012, MiG would provide the first 17 slots each year, with EFW taking the next 13, beyond which business would be split evenly.
The list price of an A320 conversion would be $4.25 million, while a larger A321 would be $4.75 million, says Emker.
Source: Flight International
