Logistics Group Takes on Freight Conversion Aircraft for Asia Pacific Fleet

GERMANY – Logistics group DHL Express has taken delivery of an A330-300 Passenger-to-Freighter (P2F) converted aircraft from Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW). The delivery, which took place at EFW's freighter conversion facilities in Dresden, follows the successful completion of test flights in October and awarding of the Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in November. DHL Express has firm orders for eight A330-300P2F units in total, with additional options to receive another 10. Geoff Kehr, SVP, Global Air Fleet Management, DHL Express, said:

"DHL Express is very excited to be bringing the first A330-300 P2F into commercial operation within our international air network. The first aircraft is scheduled to strengthen our Asia Pacific air network, bringing added capacity and increased efficiency to a market where we are seeing dynamic express volume growth."

The A330P2F conversion programme, launched in 2012, is a collaboration between ST Aerospace, Airbus and their joint venture EFW. ST Aerospace, as the programme and technical lead for the engineering development phase, is responsible for applying for the STCs from EASA and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Airbus contributes to the programme with original equipment manufacturer (OEM) data and certification support, while EFW leads the industrialisation phase and marketing for the freighter conversion programme. Lim Serh Ghee, President of ST Aerospace said:

“The smooth process in attaining EASA’s STC reflects the strength and quality in the engineering and design of the PTF solution, as well as our close working relationship with the aircraft original equipment manufacturer (OEM), Airbus and the aircraft conversion expertise of EFW. The delivery of our first A330-300P2F is a good start to the conversion programme. We are confident the freighter will serve DHL well, and we look forward to the next redelivery in early 2018.”

The A330P2F programme has two variants - the A330-200P2F and the larger A330-300P2F. The latter is ideal for serving the international express B2B and e-commerce cargo markets, which typically have a higher volume and lower density. The aircraft can carry up to 62 tonnes over 3,650 nautical miles, while offering 20% more cargo volume and lower cost-per-tonne than other available freighter aircraft types with a similar range.