EgyptAir plans to add to its fleet the first standard-size cargo aircraft early next year after signing an agreement with Aeronautical Engineers Inc. on the reconfiguration of a used 737-800 passenger aircraft for special cargo service.
Miami-based AEI said Monday that modification work will begin in October at the authorized Commercial Jet conversion center, also in Miami. EgyptAir will own the aircraft and ship it to Miami to install wide cargo doors, a reinforced floor and cargo handling system, and other modifications that allow you to store the container on the upper deck.
EgyptAir’s freight operations grew during the COVID crisis. He started new routes to meet the need to transport medical supplies and agricultural products.
EgyptAir owns and operates three Airbus A330-200 cargo aircraft with a payload of 60 tons.
“This order is part of EgyptAir’s freight and passenger fleet modernization plan,” Amr Chairman and CEO Abu El-Ain said in a press release. “We will continue to increase the size of our fleet and open new freight markets in the coming years to meet the growing needs of the local market in terms of exports of goods abroad, especially crops.”
The AEI 737-800 conversion design offers a payload on the main deck of up to 26 tons with 11 full-height container seats plus extra space for a small container. The conversion takes three to four months, depending on which overhaul company performs the work using the AEI modification kit.
AEI is the only conversion company authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration to operate the converted 737-800 for up to three hours from the nearest airport, which can be used in an emergency that typically applies to routes over large bodies of water. . These authorizations apply to each country that approves an additional AEI certificate for the operation of its modified aircraft. European Union, China, UK, Canada, Cayman Islands
Air freight operators and leasing companies are in a hurry to buy planes and convert them due to serious forecasts of further growth in air traffic. AEI has a two-year waiting list for production slots, with 66 solid orders at just 737-800.
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