newstodate.aero
Mar 10, 2016 (newstodate): While little has been heard from Airbus on the plans for freighter conversions of the A330 and A320 Family aircraft, the company claims that the programs are moving forward as planned.
The programs comprise the two A330P2F versions, launched in 2013 and the A320/A321P2F freighter conversion program announced in June 2015 during the Air Show at Paris Le Bourget.
-The conversion program for the larger A330-300P2F that will be particularly suitable for integrators and express carriers, is ongoing and the issue now is actually identifying suitable A330 aircraft that will provide some 15 years of freighter operations, says Wolfgang Schmid, EFW A330/A320 P2F program manager.
-We have a customer for this, and production slots are already allotted, and it will be up to the customer to announce the deal.
-As for the A330-200P2F, this program is advancing as well with Egypt Air already announced as the launch customer with two aircraft, and we are currently negotiating adding a third aircraft as well.
-The program is on schedule while the aircraft is not here yet and this P2F program will be the second after the A330-300P2F program.
-The first converted A321 aircraft will fly by the end of 2018, no contracts have yet been signed but there is a huge interest in the market and this program is also on track.
-As for the A320P2F, this program is not to be launched till end of 2019/early 2020, so there is still an ongoing discussion with interested parties concerning the specifications and the design. We need to have the specs frozen before we can engage in serious negotiations, and we hope to have this in place in days from from, but there response so far is positive, says Mr Schmid.
According to information provided earlier, the A320P2F, with eleven main-deck container positions, will be capable of carrying 21 metric tonnes of payload over 2,100nm, while the A321P2F with 14 main-deck positions will be able to carry up to 27 tonnes over 1,900nm.
The programs comprise the two A330P2F versions, launched in 2013 and the A320/A321P2F freighter conversion program announced in June 2015 during the Air Show at Paris Le Bourget.
-The conversion program for the larger A330-300P2F that will be particularly suitable for integrators and express carriers, is ongoing and the issue now is actually identifying suitable A330 aircraft that will provide some 15 years of freighter operations, says Wolfgang Schmid, EFW A330/A320 P2F program manager.
-We have a customer for this, and production slots are already allotted, and it will be up to the customer to announce the deal.
-As for the A330-200P2F, this program is advancing as well with Egypt Air already announced as the launch customer with two aircraft, and we are currently negotiating adding a third aircraft as well.
-The program is on schedule while the aircraft is not here yet and this P2F program will be the second after the A330-300P2F program.
-The first converted A321 aircraft will fly by the end of 2018, no contracts have yet been signed but there is a huge interest in the market and this program is also on track.
-As for the A320P2F, this program is not to be launched till end of 2019/early 2020, so there is still an ongoing discussion with interested parties concerning the specifications and the design. We need to have the specs frozen before we can engage in serious negotiations, and we hope to have this in place in days from from, but there response so far is positive, says Mr Schmid.
According to information provided earlier, the A320P2F, with eleven main-deck container positions, will be capable of carrying 21 metric tonnes of payload over 2,100nm, while the A321P2F with 14 main-deck positions will be able to carry up to 27 tonnes over 1,900nm.