EFW starts work on first A320P2F conversion

Elbe Flugzeugwerke, the Airbus-subsidiary that teamed-up with ST Aerospace to offer passenger-to-cargo conversions for Airbus-aircraft, has started the conversion process of the first A320P2F. The particular aircraft will be converted at ST Aerospace's facility at Singapore-Seletar and will be used to certify this latest version of the A320.

Airbus already announced the A320P2F (together with the A321P2F) programme in 2015, but decided to prioritze the A321P2F due to its larger cargo capacity (fourteen containers on the maindeck compared to eleven for the A320P2F) and better availability of potential aircraft for conversion. Originally, the goal was to have achieved a Supplement Type Certifcate for the A320P2F in 2021 but this will now be 2022.

The A320/A321P2F-programme of Airbus and EFW isn't the only A320/A321-conversion programme on the market. C Cubed Aerospace from the US is offering the A320/A321CCF and has already started the conversion of a first A320 (N1523, c/n 1523) in September 2019.

With the cargo-business booming, Airbus and EFW, which also offer A330P2Fs, is sold-out until 2024 at all of its (partner) sites at Dresden, Guangzhou and Singapore-Seletar. An additional conversion-line for the A321P2F is due to be added later this year at Mobile (AL).

Illustration by Airbus.