First to market race heats up for A320/321 conversion programme

PACAVI Group and Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Co (GAMECO) said that they are on track in being "first to market" with their joint Airbus A320/A321 passenger-to-freighter (P2F) conversion programme in 2017.
They face competition from the joint venture between Singapore Technologies Aerospace (ST Aerospace) and Dresden-based Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW) to launch the A320/A321 P2F conversion programme. 
PACAVI group chief executive Stephan Hollmann said: “Our recent completion of the preliminary design review (PDR) marks an important milestone as we are moving forward on schedule with our supplemental type certificate (STC) development operation."
GAMECO’s general manager Norbert Marx explained: “We will commence the first industrial conversion of an A320 freighter LITE at our Guangzhou facility in China, to be converted simultaneously with the prototype in Hahn, Germany.”
He also announced the appointment of Frank Eichelbaum, a former Airbus and MTU executive, as GAMECO’s coordinator for the joint conversion project with PACAVI.
GAMECO will also convert PACAVI’s A321 Freighter LITE prototype in Guangzhou, while conversion of the prototype A320 Freighter LITE, started in January 2015, is progressing on schedule at the HAITEC facility in Frankfurt/Hahn (Germany). 
Speaking at the China Air Cargo Summit in Shanghai, Hollmann said: “We are going to advance the industry’s traditional approach with a groundbreaking one stop shop-concept, offering tailored turnkey packages of airframe sourcing, purchase, customised conversion, and leasing or sale to airline customers of all tiers, worldwide.”
EFW has been approached for comment.
Airbus A320/321 conversion prospects

Share this story

Related Topics

Latest americas news

FedEx profits improve as cost cutting takes effect

FedEx saw its profits improve in the third quarter of its fiscal year despite revenues coming under pressure due to…

Read More

Share this story

Big three US airlines again delay resumption of further China flights

The three largest US airlines are pushing back until at least late October the resumption of many flights to China…

Read More

Share this story

FarCargo gets ready to launch first transatlantic air cargo route

Faroe Islands-based carrier FarCargo will launch its first transatlantic air cargo route for salmon shipments on March 5. The planned…

Read More

Share this story

Air Cargo News

Air Cargo News
Established in 1983, Air Cargo News is the leading source of news, information, interviews, analyses and reports to the global airfreight industry. Our leading portfolio includes print, digital and events that give businesses in the airfreight industry the ability to connect with decision-makers in this sector.