Air Transport Services Group, the parent firm of US freight specialists ABX Air (GB, Wilmington Air Park) and ATI - Air Transport International (8C, Wilmington Air Park), has partnered Precision Aircraft Solutions to form 321 Precision Conversions, LLC, a joint-venture firm which will undertake passenger-to-freighter conversions of A321-200 aircraft.
In a statement, ATSG said 321 Precision Conversions expects to gain approval of a supplemental type certificate (STC) for its A321-200 conversions in 2019. Feasibility analysis for the conversions began in late 2011 with full-scale engineering for STC development beginning during the third quarter of 2016.
"The 321 Precision Conversions’ A321-200 freighter will provide a best-in-class solution, fulfilling both replacement and growth needs in the narrowbody freighter market," a statement said. "It will deliver cube space that is commensurate to Boeing 757 freighters, and low operating costs comparable to smaller Boeing 737 freighters, making it an attractive platform for air express network operators."
Additional details and information on the project will be disclosed later in the year.
Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac), in conjunction with ST Aerospace and Elbe Flugzeugwerke, as well as the PACAVI group, has announced its own P2F initiatives for the A320 and A321.
