newstodate.aero
Jun 06, 2011 (newstodate): Rising residual value of the world's fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft has caused Airbus to suspend its freighter conversion program.
World air traffic is increasing so fast that demand for second-hand aircraft like the airbus A320 has reached levels where the viability of the conversion program dipped low.
Airbus, EADS EFW and their Russian partners, United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) and IRKUT, have jointly thus decided to stop the A320/A321 P2F conversion development program for economic reasons and, therefore, to launch the necessary legal procedures for the termination of the joint venture "Airbus Freighter Conversion GmbH, AFC", says Airbus in a statement on Friday.
The program has, however, been "frozen" and may be revived under other market circumstances.
The suspension of the P2F program deals a heavy blow to the launch customer of the converted A320 freighter, AerCap Holdings N.V that placed an order for a total of 30 converted A320 aircraft in 2008.
Airbus originally anticipated about 400 Airbus Single Aisle aircraft to be converted from 2012 to 2026, with delivery of the first A320 P2F to West Atlantic in 2012.
World air traffic is increasing so fast that demand for second-hand aircraft like the airbus A320 has reached levels where the viability of the conversion program dipped low.
Airbus, EADS EFW and their Russian partners, United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) and IRKUT, have jointly thus decided to stop the A320/A321 P2F conversion development program for economic reasons and, therefore, to launch the necessary legal procedures for the termination of the joint venture "Airbus Freighter Conversion GmbH, AFC", says Airbus in a statement on Friday.
The program has, however, been "frozen" and may be revived under other market circumstances.
The suspension of the P2F program deals a heavy blow to the launch customer of the converted A320 freighter, AerCap Holdings N.V that placed an order for a total of 30 converted A320 aircraft in 2008.
Airbus originally anticipated about 400 Airbus Single Aisle aircraft to be converted from 2012 to 2026, with delivery of the first A320 P2F to West Atlantic in 2012.