EFW Secures Contract to Convert 10 A321 Planes Into Freighter Aircraft

By Alberto Delclaux

Elbe Flugzeugwerke, a joint venture between ST Aerospace and Airbus SE (AIR.FR), said Wednesday that it secured a contract from Luxembourg-based Vallair to convert 10 A321 passenger planes into freighter aircraft.

The company said it will convert the planes into a 14-pallet cargo configuration, with work scheduled to begin on the first aircraft in the last quarter of 2018 and redelivery expected by the end of 2019.

Vallair is the first customer to participate in the A321 passenger-to-freighter conversion program, which aims to replace the older Boeing 757 freighters, according to EFW.

"The A321 P2F (passenger-to-freighter) will be the first aircraft to introduce a containerized lower deck to the market segment of narrow body freighters: a significant game changer for any hub and spoke operation," said Vallair Chief Executive Gregoire Lebigot.

ST Aerospace is the aerospace arm of Singapore Technologies Engineering Ltd (S63.SG).

Write to Alberto Delclaux at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 07, 2018 11:21 ET (16:21 GMT)

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