EFW Receives STC for World’s First A320P2F
Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW), center of excellence for Airbus freighter conversions, has received the Supplement Type Certification (STC) from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for its head-of-version A320 Passenger-to-Freighter (P2F) aircraft. This prototype unit is the first A320P2F aircraft to be developed in the world, joining a family of Airbus P2F programmes that include the A330-200P2F, A330-300P2F and A321P2F.
The A320P2F is the second variant in Airbus narrowbody P2F solutions. Similar to the A321P2F variant, the A320P2F is a collaboration between EFW and its parent companies, ST Engineering and Airbus, with EFW leading the overall programme as well as marketing & sales efforts. The prototype A320P2F aircraft is owned by the aviation leasing arm of ST Engineering. It will be the first of several converted freighter aircraft on lease to Vaayu Group, an aviation solutions and services group of companies.
“With this STC, we have added another first in the world to our family of Airbus P2F platforms,” said Andreas Sperl, CEO of EFW. “The A320P2F is a great complement to our other conversion programmes. Airlines which employ different Airbus freighters to meet their various needs will get to enjoy improved operating economics due to the commonality across these platforms. Being a newer-generation freighter, it also offers greener fuel burn outcomes for its operators.”
The current global Airbus A320 passenger fleet comprises thousands of aircraft, offering good-fitting options for airlines and leasing companies wanting to invest in converted freighters. The A320P2F is able to accommodate 10 container and 1 pallet positions in the main deck, and seven container positions in the lower deck. Given its gross payload of up to 21 tonnes at a maximum range of 1,850nm and total usable containerised volume of 159m3 (5,603ft3), the freighter aircraft has 85% stowage efficiency. This makes the A320P2F an ideal freighter platform to serve the fast-growing ecommerce market globally.
The widebody A330P2F programme also comes in two variants – the A330-200P2F and A330-300P2F. The A330-200P2F can carry a gross payload of up to 61 tonnes for over 7,700 km. The A330-300P2F offers a gross payload of up to 63 tonnes and a containerised volume of up to ~18,581ft3 (~526m3), which brings a new paradigm of efficiency with 23% more cargo volume than other freighter aircraft in the same class.
To meet the rising demand for freighter conversions, ST Engineering and EFW are setting up new conversion sites in China and the U.S. this year, and are ramping up conversion capacity for all their Airbus P2F programmes to over 60 slots per year by 2024.
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About
Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH (EFW), joint venture between 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 about 1,900 employees, achieved revenues of approximately €250 million in 2020 and is on a sustainable course of growth. For more information about EFW, please visit www.efw.aero.
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.
