newstodate.aero
Feb 01, 2011 (newstodate): Airbus is seeing a market for around 400 converted Airbus A320 freighters till 2026.
-The first Airbus A320 converted freighter will be ready for first flight by July 2012, and will enter commercial operations with West Atlantic in Luxembourg by autumn 2012 after full certification, says Michael Furst, Airbus VP marketing & sales, Airbus Freighter Conversion.
-We expect this freighter to fill an important niche for larger jet freighter aircraft to replace the aging Boeing 737 and 727 freighters where the scarcity of technical staff will increasingly become a bottle-neck.
-From 2013, production will go up to seven of eight freighters, while full production at 30 aircraft will be in place from 2015-16.
-Production will initially focus on the Airbus production line in Dresden, and 12 to 18 months later work will start at Irkut, in Ulyanovsk, Russia, as well, says Mr Furst.
Further down the line follows a project for freighter conversion of the larger Airbus A321, and another project now being analyzed is a combi-version of the Airbus A320.
-The first Airbus A320 converted freighter will be ready for first flight by July 2012, and will enter commercial operations with West Atlantic in Luxembourg by autumn 2012 after full certification, says Michael Furst, Airbus VP marketing & sales, Airbus Freighter Conversion.
-We expect this freighter to fill an important niche for larger jet freighter aircraft to replace the aging Boeing 737 and 727 freighters where the scarcity of technical staff will increasingly become a bottle-neck.
-From 2013, production will go up to seven of eight freighters, while full production at 30 aircraft will be in place from 2015-16.
-Production will initially focus on the Airbus production line in Dresden, and 12 to 18 months later work will start at Irkut, in Ulyanovsk, Russia, as well, says Mr Furst.
Further down the line follows a project for freighter conversion of the larger Airbus A321, and another project now being analyzed is a combi-version of the Airbus A320.