DHL Express has signed a contract with Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) and freighter conversion specialist Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW) for the conversion of four A330-300 aircraft to 26-pallet freighters with a payload capacity of up to sixty-one tonnes.
The first aircraft to undergo conversion at EFW's Dresden facility has been reportedly identified as ex-Malaysia Airlines (MH, Kuala Lumpur International) machine G-CIOH (cn 116). As the A330-300P2F's launch customer, DHL expects to take redelivery by the end of 2017.
"The A330-300P2F conversion will address an important requirement within our global aviation fleet for mid-range, high volume cargo aircraft. It will bring added flexibility and capacity to our operations, and will further support our aims of improving fuel efficiency," DHL Express SVP (Global air fleet management), Geoff Kehr, said.
No operator for the revised A330 freighter has yet been specified.
