Page 17 - AAA SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021 Online Magazine

INTERVIEW: IAI

PRIMED With cargo aircraft traffic projected to double in the next 20 years
and demand for passenger-to-freighter (P2F) conversions spik-
ing, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), which has seen exponential
growth in the sector, is set to announce more conversion sites for
the B777-300 and other aircraft types.
FOR The company, which in partnership with GE Capital Aviation

Services (GECAS) started the structural modification phase in
the conversion of the first Boeing 777-300ERSF in August, is
also establishing a facility in Abu Dhabi with Etihad Engineering
for Boeing 777-300ER P2F aircraft. In October, the company
GROWTH announced that it would convert 30 A330-300 jets from passen-
ger to cargo configuration between 2025 and 2028 for aircraft
leasing company Avolon.

Rafi Matalon, VP of Marketing in IAI’s Aviation Group, believes
the demand for P2F conversions is here to stay and will continue
to grow globally. “Converting passenger jets into cargo aircraft pro-
IAI IS PRIMED TO FURTHER vides an excellent and economically smart solution to both airlines
CONSOLIDATE ITS PREMIER and leasing companies, giving them a solution for investing less
POSITION IN THE P2F than a third of the price of purchasing a new freighter with equally
CONVERSION MARKET excellent, and even better, performance, and generating additional
revenue for 10-15 years,” he tells Arun Sivasankaran in an interview.

Boeing forecasts the global freighter fleet - freighters
and conversions—to grow more than 60 per cent
to 3,260 over the next two decades, with as many
as 2,430 freighters deliveries. Do you foresee IAI
expanding its P2F conversion activity further to keep
up with global demand?

As the air cargo industry has been expanding, both due to the rise
in e-commerce and in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, IAI has
been at the forefront of providing the best solutions to the industry
and has established a number of P2F conversion sites all over the
world for different aircraft models. As the demand for cargo aircraft
soars, IAI is increasing its cargo conversion facilities globally.

IAI currently operates 8 conversion lines for the B767 model (6 at IAI
headquarters in Israel and 2 in Mexico), and 3 conversion sites for
the B737-700/800 model (2 in China and 1 in Italy). IAI has recently
begun structural modification on the first B777-300 aircraft in part-
nership with GECAS and will establish a conversion site for this
model in Abu Dhabi in partnership with Etihad Engineering. IAI will
soon be announcing more conversion sites worldwide – providing
the right solution to the rising demand.

With demand growing, both Boeing and Airbus are
focusing more than ever on the freighter market.
Do you think there is enough space in the freighter
market for aircraft OEMs and independent compa-
nies such as IAI to coexist?

Rafi Matalon, VP of Marketing, IAI’s As e-commerce has grown, so has the freighter market. More
Aviation Group operators have turned to the phenomenon of cargo conversions

ASIAN AIRLINES & AEROSPACE September/October | 17