A senior executive at Etihad Airways (EY, Abu Dhabi International) has said the carrier is canvassing the possibility of converting five of its passenger-configured B777-300ERs into freighters to provide cargo capacity ahead of its first A350Fs arriving later this decade.

According to AirCargoNews, Etihad's vice president of commercial cargo, Tim Isik, said the carrier was mulling the prospects of converting the planes, saying that the five aircraft were flagged for retirement but had been temporarily retained to cover delays in the delivery of new aircraft. In addition to a five-strong B777-200F fleet, Etihad presently operates seven passenger-configured B777-300(ER)s. In June 2022, Etihad placed a firm order for seven A350Fs, with deliveries expected from 2026.

"There is a question as to whether we could look at some conversions to boost our freighter fleet while we are waiting for some A350 freighters to be delivered," said Isik. Etihad Cargo has grown in importance at the airline in recent years and now accounts for over one-third of the airline's annual revenues.

Four of the current B777-300(ER)s are between 11 and 12 years old and the other three are between nine and ten years old. According to ch-aviation Commercial Aviation Aircraft Data data, all the existing B777-300(ER)s are leased, six from Altavair and one from Air Lease Corporation. The sole ALC aircraft, A6-ETS (msn 44548), is the youngest in the Etihad B777-300(ER) fleet and also has the most distant end lease date - September 2026. The remaining jets are variously due back at Altavair between May 2023 and September 2025.

Isik said discussions were only in the preliminary stage, adding that given the time needed for conversions and booking a slot to carry them out, it could be some time before any converted passenger B777s are in the air.