Airbus A321 converted freighter receives EASA STC

Singapore-based ST Engineering’s joint venture with Airbus, Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW), has received supplement type certification (STC) from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for its A321 Passenger-to-Freighter (P2F) conversion. The STC comes one month after the prototype unit made its maiden flight Jan. 22, 2020.

Lim Serh Ghee, president of ST Engineering’s Aerospace sector, said, “The swift process in attaining EASA’s STC shortly after our first flight test is a testament to the engineering and design strengths of our P2F solution.”

Andreas Hermann, Airbus’ vice president of asset management and member of the EFW shareholders’ committee, commented, “It is great to celebrate yet another milestone with our long-standing partners, ST Engineering and EFW for the A321P2F program, which bears testament to the strong co-operation and commitment in this freighter conversion venture.”

“EFW is the center of excellence for Airbus freighter conversions, with more than 20 years of experience and over 200 widebody converted freighters delivered to over 40 customers worldwide,” said Dr Andreas Sperl, CEO of EFW. “We are glad to now add an additional member to our Airbus freighter family with the A321P2F, which complements our A330P2F.”

Airbus contributes with original equipment manufacturer (OEM) data and certification support. ST Engineering is responsible for the engineering development phase, up to obtaining the STC from EASA and U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, while EFW leads the overall program as well as marketing and sales. As the STC holder, EFW is also responsible for the adaption engineering in the serial phase as well as for customer services and support.

ST Engineering and EFW are the only provider offering Airbus freighter conversions through their own STC developed using original OEM engineering data.

Modifying an A321 from passenger to the P2F version involves integrating a large main deck cargo door in the forward fuselage, plugging the passenger windows and deactivating most passenger doors. The forwardmost left passenger door is replaced by a smaller one to optimize the number of cargo positions on the main deck. The cabin is refurbished, including the installation of a rigid barrier wall, and the floor is reinforced.

The A321P2F offers containerized loading in both the main deck (up to 14 full container positions) and lower deck (up to 10 LD3-type container positions) with a payload-range capability up to 27.9 metric tons over 2,300nm.

Launch customer Vallair, a Luxembourg-based aircraft trading and leasing business, has ordered 10 conversions from EFW. Entry into service of the first A321P2F is targeted for Q3 2020 with the Australian airline, Qantas Freight. A second customer is BBAM, an aircraft lease management company based in San Francisco, California, which has placed an order for two A321P2F conversions.