Elbe Flugzeugwerke has signed a deal with Hong Kong-based lessor Asia Pacific Aviation Leasing Group for the conversion of an Airbus A330-300 from passenger to freighter configuration.
The aircraft will enter conversion in the second quarter of this year at one of EFW’s partner sites, while technical planning and certification work will be managed from the company’s headquarters in Dresden.
The agreement is the first freighter conversion partnership between EFW and APAL. EFW chief executive Jordi Boto described the A330P2F as a key platform for the medium-sized freighter segment and said the programme would provide APAL with a strong-performing asset as it builds its cargo fleet.
APAL chief executive Hong Wei Zhao said EFW’s proven expertise is central to the lessor’s strategy of modernizing its fleet and responding to demand in the Chinese cargo market, which the company considers a priority area for future investment.
The announcement also underlines EFW’s growing activity in China. In February, the company signed another A330 conversion agreement with Hengqin Winglet Aircraft Technology, and in January it confirmed delivery of its eighth A330-200 converted freighter to Air China Cargo, completing its first major contract in the Chinese market.
