Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW), Centre of Excellence for Airbus freighter conversions, has announced that the Supplemental Type Certification (STC) for its Airbus A320 and A321 Passenger-to-Freighter (P2F) conversion programmes has been validated by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). With this validation, EFW can now offer customers of China-registered Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft seamless access to its OEM-supported standard body freighter conversion programmes.
This latest milestone will help to reinforce EFW’s growing track record in the Chinese market. Since securing CAAC’s approval for its A330P2F programme in 2023, the company has redelivered 19 A330 converted freighters to Chinese operators. With CAAC’s approvals now in place for both standard body and widebody freighters, EFW is well-positioned to support the growing demand for efficient, high-quality freighter conversions in China.
“With CAAC’s approval of the STC for our A320/A321P2F programme, we can now offer the full suite of our conversion solutions for Chinese-registered aircraft, a major step in supporting the freight needs of the rapidly expanding Chinese market,” said Jordi Boto, CEO of EFW. “Amid strong market demand for Airbus freighter conversions, particularly with the A320P2Fs and A321P2Fs expected to play a crucial role in the Chinese and Southeast Asian markets, we look forward to providing more operators with our innovative conversion solutions tailored to both short- and long-haul routes.”
The converted A320 and A321 passenger-to-freighter aircraft offer the lowest fuel burn in their class and feature a fully containerised upper and lower deck, a first in this freighter segment. These aircraft provide lower operational costs, seamless cross-crew operation, and high flexibility for operators, especially express carriers. The A321P2F offers a payload of up to more than 28 tonnes, while the A320P2F accommodates up to more than 21 tonnes. Both the A320P2F and A321P2F are uniquely positioned to replace aging aircraft in the standard body freighter category. As the only OEM-supported solution in the market, EFW’s programme ensures greater lifecycle value and superior quality, reliability, and ease of maintenance.
EFW has a global network of eight conversion sites, including an upcoming site in Okinawa, Japan, providing operators the flexibility of converting their Airbus aircraft at any of these eight locations. In China, EFW has conversion sites in Shanghai and Chengdu for the A330P2F programme, and conversion sites in Guangzhou and Tianjin for the A321P2F programme. In addition to China, EFW has secured A320P2F and A321P2F validations in key regions including Europe, the U.S., Brazil, Japan, Malaysia, and India.
