Freight ATSG orders 29 Airbus A330P2F conversions with EFW

Over the course of the signed agreement, ATSG will receive a total of 29 converted Airbus A330P2F freighter aircraft from EFW. The conversion line is a joint venture between ST Engineering and Airbus and is located in Dresden, Germany.

With this order, ATSG seeks to enhance its market position through fleet diversification. Currently, the company has 117 in-service aircraft and will add a new face with these next generation widebody freighters. ATSG is a leading aircraft leasing provider.

Mike Berger, chief commercial officer of ATSG, explained: “The A330-300 passenger-to-freighter conversion is a natural next step for ATSG as it is an excellent complement to the Boeing 767-300 medium wide-body freighter, which has long been the freighter of choice for the e-commerce air cargo market.”

“The availability of feedstock combined with impressive cargo capacity make the A330 a very attractive option for conversion and will enable ATSG to continue to meet the demands for full-capacity freighters long into the future. The customer response to the news that we will have A330-300 freighters available for lease has been exceptionally strong, and we already have customer deposits toward future leases for half of these 29 converted freighters,” Berger added.

Andreas Sperl, CEO of EFW, commented: “To have a key market player like ATSG adopting the A330P2F programme with such a high commitment is a major milestone for us […] This is a great sign of confidence in next-generation Airbus freighters and trust in EFW's competency as a centre of excellence for Airbus freighter conversions.”

The conversions will be performed between mid-2023 and will last through 2027. Mainly, the conversions will be made at EFW´s facility in Dresden, but also at ST Engineering´s conversion sites in China. This also allows for multiple conversion to be carried out parallelly.

EFW´s A330P2F conversion programme consists of the smaller A330-200P2F and the larger A330-300P2F. Both are equipped with advanced technology and can carry a gross payload of up to 61 tonnes over 7,700km.

Since the start of the pandemic, many airlines and leasing companies have placed orders for freighter aircraft as e-commerce numbers keep surging. Recently, three operators ordered new Airbus and Boeing cargo aircraft over the course of Singapore Airshow 2022.