Summary
- Boeing officially delivered its 150th Boeing 737-800 Converted Freighter on Friday.
- Conversions of the aircraft type take place at facilities in Asia, Central America, and Europe.
- Boeing faces competition from Airbus and ST Engineering, who have developed the A320 passenger-to-freighter converted aircraft.
American planemaker Boeing announced on Friday that it has officially delivered 150 Boeing 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF) aircraft. It comes just over a year after the manufacturer marked its 100th delivery of the aircraft type.
The plane’s conversion reportedly took place at a facility in China. Boeing has conversion partners at various locations in China, Costa Rica, and the United Kingdom.
Reaching a milestone
Boeing did not disclose the recipient of its 150th 737-800BCF, but it was completed in Jinan, China, where Taikoo Aircraft Engineering (STAECO), an aircraft engineering and maintenance service (MRO) provider, has a facility, according to Cargo Facts. Since the first 737-800BCF was delivered in 2018, Boeing said the program has surpassed 125,000 flights, 300,000 flight hours, and has more than 40 operators worldwide.
In September 2022, the company announced the delivery of its 100th 737-800BCF to AerCap, the world’s largest aircraft lessor and launch customer of the 737BCF program. According to AeroTime, Boeing launched a partnership with STAECO in late 2021 to open two new conversion lines to meet the continued strong market demand in the air cargo sector. The conversion site is in addition to lines at Boeing Shanghai Aviation Services in Shanghai and the Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Company in Guangzhou.
Conversion facilities around the world
In Costa Rica, the company has two conversion lines thanks to a partnership with Cooperativa Autogestionaria de Servicios Aeroindustriales. In the UK, a production site is at its London Gatwick MRO facility, according to AeroTime. Two conversion lines are also in Canada at KF Aerospace MRO in Kelowna, British Columbia.
Boeing is continuing to expand the 737BCF program with additional conversion sites around the globe. According to FreightWaves, the company plans to open a new conversion line in India with an agreement signed with GMR Aero Technica, which has an MRO facility at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad. The planemaker reportedly anticipates that around 1,300 standard-body conversions will be needed over the next two decades to support the rapid growth of e-commerce and express cargo markets.
Photo: Boeing
During the conversion process, the aircraft receives cargo modifications, including the installation of a wide cargo door, reinforced flooring, new skin on the interior, a cargo loading system, and a barrier designed to protect the cockpit from freight shifting during flight. Boeing has more than 100 orders with commitments from at least 20 customers. While the manufacturer has the largest market share for 737-800 conversions, there are independent conversion providers in Israel and Miami, according to FreightWaves.
Facing competition
Boeing says the 737-800BCF carries up to 20 tonnes of revenue payload and has “excellent” operating economics to maximize profitability. The converted plane is more fuel efficient than 737 classic freighters by 20% and offers more range, versatility, and competitive advantage.
While the company claims that the 737-800BCF “is the smart choice,” it faces competition with A320 passenger-to-freighter (P2F) converted aircraft developed by EFW, a joint venture of Airbus and ST Engineering. Last year, the first A320P2F was delivered to its launch customer, Vaayu Pradhaan Air Express. The aircraft has a gross payload of 21 tonnes with a maximum range of 1,850 nautical miles.
Sources: Cargo Facts, AeroTime (1,2,3), FreightWaves