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Airbus to expand freighter conversion lines to U.S., China

Wednesday, October 20, 2021 at 03:03 PM ET

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An Airbus A330-300 passenger-to-freighter plane converted for DHL before application of paint and logo. EFW

Key Takeaways:

Airbus is significantly expanding its passenger-to-freighter (P2F) conversion capacity for A321 and A330 jets through its joint venture EFW.
New conversion lines are opening in the U.S. (San Antonio and Mobile) and China, with the goal to triple annual output to approximately 60 converted aircraft by 2024.
This expansion addresses rapidly growing demand from cargo operators, with conversion slots for both A321 and A330 booked years in advance.
The A321 P2F is highly anticipated for its fuel efficiency and container handling capabilities, making it a strong competitor in the cargo market.

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Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on FreightWaves.com.

Eric is the Air Cargo Market Editor at FreightWaves. An award-winning business journalist with extensive experience covering the logistics sector, Eric spent nearly two years as the Washington, D.C., correspondent for Automotive News, where he focused on regulatory and policy issues surrounding autonomous vehicles, mobility, fuel economy and safety. He has won two regional Gold Medals from the American Society of Business Publication Editors for government coverage and news analysis, and was voted best for feature writing and commentary in the Trade/Newsletter category by the D.C. Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. As associate editor at American Shipper Magazine for more than a decade, he wrote about trade, freight transportation and supply chains. Eric is based in Portland, Oregon. He can be reached for comments and tips at ekulisch@freightwaves.com