Macquarie AirFinance orders conversions to meet express demand
02 / 03 / 2021
AEI B737-800SF
Aircraft lessor Macquarie AirFinance will convert four of its B737-800SF aircraft through Aeronautical Engineers, Inc as it looks to capitalise on growing e-commerce demand.
The company said that it made sense to extend the life of its B737-800 aircraft through conversion.
John Willingham, chief executive of Macquarie AirFinance, said: “We are seeing particularly strong demand in the express freight sector as the e-commerce industry continues to grow. As one of the largest lessor owners of mature 737-800 aircraft, it makes business sense to extend their life and continue to evolve our offering.”
The aircraft will be converted to freighters by the authorised AEI Conversion Center, Commercial Jet in Miami.
Robert Convey, AEI senior vice president of sales and marketing, said: “Beyond the benefits of lower fuel consumption and operating costs compared to older 737 Classic freighters, the AEI B737-800SF freighter was designed for operational dependability in real-world environments, which is especially beneficial in the fast-paced segment of express cargo.”
The AEI converted B737-800SF freighter offers a maindeck payload of almost 24 tonnes and incorporates eleven full height 88” x 125” container positions, plus an additional position for an AEP/AEH.
FlightGlobal reports that Macquarie parent Macquarie Group owns 65 737-800s. Several of those aircraft are roughly 20 years old and have accumulated upwards of 50,000h of flight and more than 30,000 cycles, according to Cirium fleets data.
The Federal Aviation Administration certificated AEI’s 737-800SF converted freighter in February 2019. The Miami-based conversion company has delivered seven of the jets and is currently working on the conversion of six additional 737-800SFs. In addition to those, it holds orders for another 31 737-800SFs, plus options for a further 20 conversions, the company says.
