Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has successfully completed a trial to load a Trent 1000 engine into the maindeck of its Boeing 777-300 freighter conversion.
During the trial, the engine was successfully loaded through the maindeck cargo door of IAI's 777-300ERSF (Extended Range Special Freighter) and placed in its final position in the maindeck using the Collins Powered Cargo Loading System (CLS).
IAI said the engine operation expands the airlift capabilities of its 777-300ERSF, which has a flight-carrying capacity of 100 tons, and provide customers with a solution for transporting various engine types and sizes of cargo, including the GE90, Trent 700 and Trent 1000 engines.
The Trent 1000 engine is specifically designed to power the Boeing 787 aircraft.
Boaz Levy, president and chief executive of IAI, said: “We are proud of the successful trial results, which demonstrate IAI's innovative technological capabilities. This achievement exemplifies how the B777-300ERSF aircraft will offer customers an outstanding airborne transportation solution.
"We thank the exceptional personnel in IAI's Aviation Group for a successful trial that meets the future requirements of the global passenger-to-freight conversion market.”
Yaacov Berkovitz, executive vice president and general manager of IAI’s Aviation Group, added: “This successful trial is a significant achievement in the ongoing capability enhancements offered as part of the B777-300ER wide-body passenger aircraft to cargo conversion.
"We are proud to offer our customers the most advanced and innovative solutions that are the best-in-class in the air cargo transportation market on a global scale.”
IAI's 777-300ERSF is the first passenger-to-freighter aircraft conversion programme of the Boeing 777-300ER. The first aircraft in the programme was converted for lessor AerCap and the first flight took place in March 2023.
Meanwhile, Mammoth Freighters is expected to complete its first 777-300ERMF freighter conversion by the end of this year.
Demand for 777-300ER freighter conversions is surging due to the upcoming end of the 777 production programme but feedstock is proving hard to find, according to market intelligence firm IBA.
Meanwhile, neither programme has yet received regulatory approval for commercial operations.
