SYDNEY: Airbus and Singapore Technologies (ST) Engineering said they would set up new sites in China, Germany and the United States by 2023 to convert A321 passenger planes to freighters after the first one entered service with Qantas Airways on Tuesday (Oct 27).
The Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW) joint venture between Airbus and ST Engineering will expand beyond Singapore allowing it to convert around 25 planes each year to meet rising demand for dedicated cargo aircraft, they said in a statement.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAbout half of the air cargo carried worldwide normally flies in the belly of passenger jets rather than in dedicated freighters. But pandemic-related flight cuts due to weak travel demand have squeezed air freight capacity.
[h=3]WATCH: ST Engineering puts more converted freighters in skies as airlines struggle with fewer passengers[/h][h=3]READ: Sea-air freight model an opportunity to uplift Singapore as a transport hub: Experts[/h]"The completion of our first A321P2F is timely, as the programme can help airlines breathe new life into underutilised aircraft, which would otherwise suffer a harder landing in their residual value," said Jeffrey Lam, president of ST Engineering's aerospace division.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvisory firm Ishka says the market value of a 10-year-old A321 passenger plane has fallen by 16 per cent to US$21.5 million since January, while the monthly lease rate is down 33 per cent.
The first A321 converted freighter is operated by Qantas on behalf of Australia Post and includes a large main cargo door which is hydraulically actuated and electrically locked, the joint venture said.
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