Qantas Freight has begun flying the world’s first Airbus A321 passenger-to-freighter conversion aircraft. Qantas will operate it under a partnership with Australia Post.
The first A321 freighter was converted by Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW) and supplied to Qantas through lessor Vallair.
The demand for Airbus A321 freighter is becoming popular among freighter operators. In order to meet this demand, ST Engineering and EFW said they plan to set up additional modification sites in China, Germany and the U.S. by 2023.
ST Engineering in partnership with Airbus and German based aerospace manufacturer Elbe Flugzeugwerke is planning to increase conversion capacity to about 23 slots per year.
In a press release, Gregoire Lebigot, President & CEO at Vallair said:
“The A321P2F will be the first aircraft to introduce a containerized lower deck to the market segment of narrowbody freighters, a significant game-changer for any hub and spoke operation.”
“We see a huge potential for this aircraft as a key tool for the cargo industry to achieve the projected growth rate of the air freight market in general, particularly express services and e-commerce. Additionally, the substantial fuel efficiency advantages are well-suited to 1-4 hour flight legs.”
Feature Image: “Airbus”
