Page 6 - AAA March / April 2023 Latest Magazine | GBP

Officer, MSC, commented that the “strategic the A330 aircraft type. In October 2021, Avolon became a launch
partnership with Atlas Air is the first step into customer for IAI’s A330-300 passenger-to-freighter (P2F) pro-
this market and we plan to continue explor- gramme for 30 conversions slots between 2025 and 2028. “In
ing various avenues to develop air cargo in a 2025, we will see the induction of the cargo conversion market
way that complements our core business of for the A330,” says Andy Cronin, Avolon CEO. “We’ve seen the
container shipping”. impact of that on demand for the 737-800. We are a firm believer
in the A330 from a cargo conversion perspective because we
Atlas Air is one of the world’s largest out- think there simply isn’t an alternative to the 767 cargo aircraft
sourcers of air freight solutions and operates and a replacement has to happen. We have taken a significant
the largest 747 fleet, with a growing number position with IAI for their conversion of the A330 on a multi-year
of 777s. The air freight company also operates programme.”
a large 767, 757 and 737 freighter fleet that
serves the entire market. Atlas also has long- Avolon also has made a significant commitment to the global air
term agreements with Amazon and Alibaba as freighter market to capitalise on the growth in e-commerce. It has
well as other logistics providers, and as such as partnered with IAI as the launch customer for the IAI A330-300

been at the forefront in the eCommerce boom. P2F cargo conversion programme. The company has committed
“Air freight is at the centre of the global econ- to 30 Airbus A330-300 P2F conversion slots between 2025 and
omy, and plays an incredibly important role 2028.
in global manufacturing, global distribution,
and global consumption,” says Michael Steen, A330-300 P2F CARGO CONVERSION
Michael Steen, Chief Commercial Officer,
Atlas Air Worldwide and President & Chief With a range of over 3,600 nautical miles at maximum payload
Executive Officer, Titan Aviation. “Our industry of 61 tonnes, the IAI A330-300 freighter is uniquely placed to
has been affected by the economic cycles. But support the growth in e-commerce over the next 20 years. The
the core transportation element is something IAI A330-300 product will offer a competitive edge to air cargo
that has to be fulfilled, and that’s where air operators looking to expand or replace their medium wide body
freight plays a really important role. Even if freighter fleets. IAI’s A330-300 P2F will increase cargo volume
we see a down cycle at the moment where capacity with up to 27 main deck pallet positions, one more
demand has become softer, over the longer than the competition, and will drive enhanced cargo loading
term there will still be a very high demand for performance due to its optimized door position. These product
dedicated freighters due to the sheer growth advantages will drive improvements in the most important oper-
of the underlying economy.” ating measures for companies in the air freight market.

Leading aircraft leasing company Avolon has Dómhnal Slattery, Avolon CEO, commented: “We identified IAI
also invested substantially in the cargo market, as a long-time global leader in the aircraft conversion business
specifically in the conversion programme for and the right partner for Avolon to capitalise on the unparalleled

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