DHL signs up for four more A330-300P2Fs

DHL Express has signed up for four more A330-300 passenger-to-freighter conversions from ST Aerospace subsidiary Elbe Flugzeugwerke.
The express operator, which in July last year became the launch customer for the conversion programme with an order for two of the aircraft, said the deal also includes options for a further 10 conversions.
The contract was signed at the 52nd International Paris Air Show this afternoon, and witnessed by Guests-of-Honour Singapore’s Second Minister for Defense Mr Ong Ye Kung and Chief of the Saxon State Chancellery and State Minister for Federal and European Affairs Dr Fritz Jaeckel.  
The conversion will be carried out by EFW, which is jointly owned by ST Aerospace and Airbus. The aircraft has a payload of up to 61 tons.
In order to take on the expanded conversion programme for DHL Express, EFW is gradually ramping up its capacity at its facility in Dresden, with a new single-bay wide-body hangar being completed recently.
Geoff Kehr, senior vice president, global air fleet management, DHL Express, said: “DHL is delighted to be expanding this pioneering conversion programme with ST Aero, EFW and Airbus and securing the option to add more units to our fleet in future.
“We believe the A330-300P2F, with its favourable payload and range metrics, will address an important demand segment within the air cargo market that is not currently served by any other aircraft type.
“It will further strengthen the global air network of DHL Express and help us to achieve even greater efficiencies in our aviation operations.”
The first aircraft under the DHL Express A330-300P2F program is currently undergoing conversion at EFW’s Dresden-based facilities, while work is set to begin on a second aircraft at an ST Aerospace engineering facility in Singapore.
The first two aircraft are scheduled to be redelivered by the end of 2017.
The A330P2F conversion programme, launched in 2012, is a collaboration between ST Aerospace, Airbus and EFW.
ST Aerospace, as the programme and technical lead for the engineering development phase, is responsible for applying for the supplemental type certificates for the freighter conversions from the European Aviation Safety Agency and the US Federal Aviation Administration.
Aircraft original equipment manufacturer (OEM), Airbus, contributes to the programme with OEM data and certification support, while EFW leads the industrialisation phase and marketing for the freighter conversion programme.
The A330P2F programme includes two versions – the A330-200P2F and the larger A330-300P2F. DHL Express is EFW’s first customer for the A330-300P2F conversion programme, while a launch contract with EgyptAir Cargo was secured in December 2014 for the A330-200P2F conversion programme.
Picture caption, L-R: Senior VP of Global Network Management, DHL Express, Dr Joerg Andriof; Senior VP of Global Air Fleet Management, DHL Express, Mr Geoffrey Kehr; Guest-of-Honour Chief of the Saxon State Chancellery and State Minister for Federal and European Affairs Dr Fritz Jaeckel; Guest-of-Honour Singapore’s Second Minister for Defence Mr Ong Ye Kung; President & CEO of EFW, Dr Andreas Sperl; President & CEO of ST Engineering Mr Vincent Chong; and Executive VP of Global Air Fleet Management, DHL Express, Mr Christopher Buckley.