More than two years after Airbus announced a new passenger-to-freighter conversions program for its wide-body A330 aircraft, the European manufacturer’s MRO subsidiary EFW now has a launch customer for the A330-200 variant: Cairo-based Egyptair, the flag carrier of Egypt.
Under the agreement, Egyptair will convert two of its A330-200 passenger aircraft to freighters, and has an option for two more.
EFW CEO Andreas Sperl said the P-to-Fs will replace Egyptair’s aging A300B4 and two A300-600 freighters, providing “one third additional payload, with substantially improved range capabilities and significantly reduced carbon dioxide emissions coupled with extensively improved noise footprints”.
According to Air Cargo World’s sister publication, Cargo Facts, the A330-300 variant will actually begin production as early as next November and enter service in 2017 with an as-yet-unnamed carrier. The -200 variant ordered by Egyptair, however, will be a full year behind the -300 model and will not enter service until mid-2018.
EFW announced the start of its P-to-F program for the A330-200/300 in early 2013, as part of a joint venture with Airbus and Singapore-based ST Aerospace. To date, EFW has converted more than 190 Airbus wide-body aircraft.