Air Cargo

Converted Freighters Offer Partial Fix to Cargo Capacity Crunch

Converted passenger aircraft are helping ease air cargo capacity constraints but cannot serve as a complete solution, industry leaders said at the TIACA Air Cargo Forum this week. Airbus's senior director of freighter marketing Bernard De L'Estoile cautioned that conversions come with operational limitations, particularly regarding fuel efficiency on long-range routes when utilization rates are high. Line-built aircraft offer superior fuel economy, making them more economical for high-utilization operations, De L'Estoile noted. Boeing's freighter marketing director John Perdoch acknowledged that while new-build widebodies provide technological and cost advantages, conversions remain a practical interim measure. Current widebody supply shortages make conversions necessary, he said. Three widebody passenger-to-freighter conversion programs currently operate in the market. Israel Aerospace Industries' Boeing 777-300ERSF conversion was first to launch, with its initial aircraft entering service last September.