EFW receives Chinese validation of its STC for A330P2F
Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH (EFW), center of excellence for Airbus Passenger-to-Freighter (P2F) conversions and joint venture by ST Engineering and Airbus, has received the validation of its Supplement Type Certification (V-STC) by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) for its A330 Passenger-to-Freighter (P2F) aircraft conversion program comprising two variants - the A330-200 and the A330-300. This major milestone was achieved alongside with the first-ever A330 freighter converted in China which has been re-delivered in April by EFW to its customer CDB Aviation for leasing to Sichuan Airlines.
With this conversion program milestone, EFW will be able to work even more closely with Chinese partners. The validation by the Chinese authorities enables customers with Airbus A330 aircraft registered in China to easily undergo conversions under the EFW program, whether in MRO sites in China or in other countries.
“Offering conversions in China to serve the high demand in this growing market was an important strategic decision for EFW,” commented Jordi Boto, CEO of Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH. “We are very pleased to have successfully started this journey together with CDB Aviation, our first customer with A330P2F conversions on three continents, and we are very grateful for the trust they have placed in us.”
The A330P2F aircraft for CDB Aviation was converted at ST Engineering´s airframe facility in Shanghai, Shanghai Technologies Aerospace Company, concluding EFW’s first-ever A330P2F conversion in China. There is a strong market demand for Airbus freighter conversions, with the A330P2F program being increasingly considered as the preferred next-generation platform in the medium to widebody category.
Impressions
To meet the demand for Airbus freighter conversions, EFW and ST Engineering set up in total nine conversion sites worldwide in recent years to ramp up total conversion capacity for all their Airbus P2F programs comprising the A330P2F, A320P2F and A321P2F. In China, besides Shanghai, there are also conversion sites, namely for the A330P2F in Chengdu as well as for A321P2F in Guangzhou and Tianjin, which is a third-party conversion site by Haite.
EFW’s A330P2F program is developed in collaboration with ST Engineering and Airbus, with EFW holding the Supplemental Type Certificate and leading in the overall program as well as marketing & sales efforts. The A330P2F program comes with two variants – the A330-200P2F and A330-300P2F – which are both equipped with advanced technology that offers airlines additional operational and economic benefits. The A330-200P2F can carry a gross payload of up to 60 tons of weight to over 7.700 km, while the larger A330-300P2F can carry a gross payload of up to 62 tons and a containerized volume of up to ~18.581ft3 (~526m3).
About
About EFW
Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH (EFW), a subsidiary of ST Engineering and Airbus combines various aviation and technology activities under a single roof: development and manufacturing of fibre-reinforced composite components for aircraft structures and interiors of the entire Airbus family, the conversion of passenger aircraft into freighter configuration, maintenance and repair of Airbus aircraft as well as engineering services in the context of certification and approval. The company has a workforce of over 2,000 employees, achieved revenues of approximately €400 million in 2022 and is on a sustainable course of growth. With over 20 years of experience and more than 40 conversion customers worldwide, thereof the largest Express carriers in North America and Europe but also renowned General Freight and Combination Carriers, EFW is the Centre of Excellence for freighter conversions and driving the development of the Airbus freighter family. For more information about EFW, please visit www.efw.aero.
About ST Engineering
ST Engineering is a global technology, defence and engineering group with a diverse portfolio of businesses across the aerospace, smart city, defence and public security segments. The Group harnesses technology and innovation to solve real-world problems, enabling a more secure and sustainable world. Headquartered in Singapore, it has operations spanning Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the U.S., serving customers in more than 100 countries. ST Engineering reported revenue of $7.7b in FY2021 and ranks among the largest companies listed on the Singapore Exchange. It is a component stock of the FTSE Straits Times Index, MSCI Singapore, iEdge SG ESG Transparency Index and iEdge SG ESG Leaders Index.
