newstodate.aero

May 17, 2021 (newstodate):  The Latvian ACMI provider SmartLynx Airlines is taking another step up the ladder with the introduction of wide-body all-cargo aircraft capacity.
    The company is to add five Airbus A330 aircraft modified to Zero LOPA by removing passenger seats and preparing aircraft for cargo flights, offering the capacity of 260 m3 and a maximum cargo weight of 50 tonnes.
    Delivered under a contract with the Chinese aircraft lease company CDB Aviation, the aircraft  will be placed with its subsidiary SmartLynx Airlines Malta during May and June 2021, already.
   While introduced into the fleet as all-cargo aircraft, the five Airbus A330 aircraft may however later be re-converted to passenger versions once the demand for passenger ACMI and charter flights normalizes as the Covid-19 loses its grip on the global marketplace.
   Earlier this year, SmartLynx Airlines also performed Zero LOPA modifications on two of the fleet’s A321 units to meet the growing demand for cargo transportation, becoming one of the first carriers to introduce two Airbus A321-200F, contracted to operations for DHL based at Leipzig Halle Airport for world-wide cargo operations.  
   SmartLynx Airlines is member of the ever-growing Avia Solutions Group.