The E190 E-Freighter conversion aircraft took flight in Brazil for the first time on April 4, 2024, for around two hours in which a complete evaluation of the model was carried out. 

The first flight is part of a series of evaluations that Embraer is conducting before the E-Freighter jets enter into operation.聽聽

The aircraft has already been successful in both ground pressurization and cargo loading tests.聽

鈥淭he E-Freighter program opens a new business opportunity for Embraer, meeting e-commerce精东影业 growing global demand for cargo transport and matching the high-tech E-Jets family to an unbeatable operational performance,鈥� Francisco Gomes Neto, President and CEO of Embraer, said. 鈥淲e are very pleased with E190F精东影业 and E195F精东影业 fast progress during the testing period. These jets will be important tools for our customers and allow them to work with more agile and decentralized deliveries.鈥� 

E-Jets converted to freighters will have over 50% more volume capacity, three times the range of large cargo turboprops, and up to 30% lower operating costs than narrowbodies.  

If combining capacity under the floor and main deck, the maximum structural payload is 13,500 kg for the E190F and 14,300 kg for the E195F. 

On December 1, 2023, the first completed E-Freighter conversion was unveiled at 贰尘产谤补别谤精东影业 headquarters in S茫o Jos茅 dos Campos after the program was launched in July 2022.聽

Take a look at our newest member of the E-Jet Family, the E-Freighter! Here精东影业 how we converted an E190 from all-passenger to all-cargo configuration.

— Embraer (@embraer)

Brazilian airline Azul did not wait for 贰尘产谤补别谤精东影业 move and transformed several of its E190s into freighters in 2021 in collaboration with engineering firm LHColus Technologia, also from Brazil.聽聽

The aircraft used by Embraer for the first test flight belongs to Regional One, a leasing company from the United States. 

Among 贰尘产谤补别谤精东影业 customers for the new freighter are Irish lessor Nordic Aviation Capital (NAC) and Lanzhou Aviation Industry Development Group.聽 聽

Embraer unveils its first completed E190 to E-Freighter conversion: video聽聽

• Air Cargo
• Aircraft

byIan Molyneaux

December 1, 2023

The first of ten Airbus A330-300P2F aircraft, leased from Altavair, successfully completed its first in-service flight on October 2, 2023, by flying from Cincinnati Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) to San Bernardino International Airport (SBD) where Amazon has regional air hubs located.  

The first A330, registered N4621K, is set be operated for Amazon by Hawaiian Airlines and has been converted from passenger aircraft to freighter by Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH (EFW), the center of excellence for Airbus Passenger-to-Freighter (P2F) conversions.聽

Before joining the Amazon Air fleet, the other nine Airbus A330-300 scheduled to arrive will also undergo the same transformation.聽聽

In response to the new arrivals, Amazon Air will also begin phasing out some older aircraft, the tenures of which are nearing expiry.   

On October 2, 2023, Amazon Air released a video of the new aircraft and staff and showed a few sneak peaks inside the jet.  

鈥淛ust under a year ago, Amazon announced it was adding 10 Airbus A330s to its global aircraft fleet. These A330s aren’t just the first of their kind in our fleet. They鈥檒l also be the newest, largest aircraft for Amazon Air, allowing us to transport more customer packages with each flight,鈥� a spokesperson said in a statement.  

When the deal between Amazon and was announced back in October 2022, Philippe Karam, director of Amazon Global Air Fleet & Sourcing, said he was 鈥渢hrilled鈥� to welcome Airbus to the fleet.聽

Taking off in a city near you. 馃洬 Introducing 精东影业 new A330!!

It's the first of its kind in our fleet and will help us deliver more packages with less flights, which means customers get their orders that much faster. 馃檶 馃摝 Woot woot!

— Amazon (@amazon)

Christian Scherer, Airbus CCO and Head of Airbus International remarked that the 鈥渆ndorsement of our freighters by Amazon speaks volumes about the market value of the A330鈥�. 

Amazon精东影业 first plane, 鈥楢mazon One鈥�, took to the skies in 2016 and the online retailer now has over 110 planes in its fleet.聽聽

United to take delivery of 800 new jets by 2032 following Airbus and Boeing deal

• Aircraft
• Airlines

byIan Molyneaux

October 4, 2023

The two companies also plan to work together in the establishment of E190F and E195F conversion capability in Lanzhou, China.  

The duo believes this will support and accelerate the introduction of E-Jet first generation freighters to the valuable Chinese market. 

With the signing of this LoA, Lanzhou Group becomes the launch customer for 贰尘产谤补别谤精东影业 P2F conversion in China, and the base in China for 贰尘产谤补别谤精东影业 P2F conversions.聽

鈥淭he opportunity in China had a significant influence during the decision-making process of the launch of our P2F program. It is a market with increasing demand for cargo aircraft to accommodate the tremendous growth of E-commerce trade and the consequent evolution of the logistics industry,鈥� Arjan Meijer, president and CEO Embraer, said. 

Meijer added: 鈥淲e鈥檙e confident in this booming market and always willing to support the sector精东影业 further progress in cooperation with our Chinese partners. We welcome Lanzhou Group to be the region精东影业 launch customer for 贰尘产谤补别谤精东影业 P2F conversion, and we expect to bring new vitality to Chinese market with our E-Jets freighters.鈥� 

Chen Zhiqiang, President of Lanzhou Aviation Industry Development Group, said the company was 鈥渉onored鈥� to be the launch customer and the project will lead to 鈥渉igh-quality economic development鈥� in Lanzhou, Gansu, and western regions of China. 

鈥淲e believe the 鈥楥hina speed鈥� in aviation logistics will be an important basis for the sustainable and efficient growth of the Chinese economy,鈥� Zhiqiang said. 

Embraer launched the E190F and E195F Passenger-to-Freight Conversions program in March 2022, supporting the high demand for cargo and positive market trends in China.  

Embraer forecasts a market demand for 700 E-Jet freighters over the next 20 years. The Chinese market is forecast to need 240 freighters of this size, accounting for 34% of the global total, powered by demand from the e-commerce and logistics sectors. 

The maximum gross structural payload is 13,150kg for the E190F and 14,300kg for the E195F. 

The E190 and E195, the two models included in the P2F program, are some of 贰尘产谤补别谤精东影业 bestselling commercial aircraft of all time.  

Currently, there are 85 E-Jets flying with , Hebei Airlines, Beibu Gulf Airlines, and Colorful Guizhou Airlines in China.聽聽聽

Single pilot operations: the aircraft evolution that fires up aviation debate

• Aircraft
• Airlines

byIan Molyneaux

August 3, 2024

Under the new program, will attempt to become the first choice for airlines operating in the regional Chinese air cargo market. While the company has not specified when the first ARJ21 narrow-body jet will be converted into a cargo aircraft, two local airlines, YTO Cargo Airlines and Zhongyuan Airlines, have already expressed an interest in the freighter.

According to the manufacturer精东影业 released on January 6, 2023, the converted ARJ21 will be able to fly up to 10 tons (more than 22,04 lbs.) of air freight containers meeting different standard sizes such as PMC, PAG, and AKE. The cargo jet will feature a full electric freight loading system, which will allow a customer to load goods via the main cargo door.

The plane will also be equipped with an advanced warning system for fire prevention as well as a modern air-conditioning system, COMAC added.

COMAC delivers first domestically built ARJ21 regional jet to a foreign airline

• Aircraft

byGabriele Petrauskaite

The domestically built ARJ21 jet family

First rolled out in December 2007, the ARJ21 jet was granted its type certificate by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) in December 2014.鈥�

The regional jet looks similar to the McDonnell Douglas MD-80 single-aisle airliner and features a 25-degree swept supercritical wing designed by Antonov as well as twin rear-mounted General Electric CF34 engines. However, COMAC claims that the plane design is a completely independent intellectual property of China.

China expects to see air traffic rise to 75% of pre-pandemic levels

• Civil Aviation

byGabriele Petrauskaite

With a range of 3,700 kilometers (around 2,299 miles), the ARJ21-700 regional jet is a baseline aircraft model with a seating capacity for up to 95 passengers onboard. But COMAC is also developing the longer -900 variant, which is expected to be capable of flying between 95 and 105 travelers in a two-class seating configuration.鈥�

The manufacturer plans to expand the ARJ21 family with two additional ARJ21 variants: an ARJ21F freighter version and an ARJ21B business jet. The dedicated ARJJ21 business jet is expected to serve as a small executive jet for 20 passengers onboard.

COVID-19: which countries have imposed restrictions on travelers from China?

• Civil Aviation

byGabriele Petrauskaite

According to COMAC, almost 100 ARJ21-700s have been delivered as of December 2022.

The firmed order follows an agreement in principle announced by Embraer and NAC in May 2022. 

The aircraft for conversion will be provided from NAC精东影业 existing E190/E195 fleet with deliveries set to begin in 2024 according to a released by Embraer. 

The first two E190F passenger-to-freight conversions, will be placed with Astral Aviation, a cargo airline based in Nairobi, Kenya. 

Embraer highlighted that the conversions will be performed at its facilities in Brazil. 

According to the 贰尘产谤补别谤精东影业 specifications, the passenger-to-freighter converted E190F and E195F will be able to handle a payload of 23,600lb (10,700kg) and 27,100lb (12,300 kg) respectively. 

Astral Aviation signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with NAC at the Farnborough International Airshow 2022 in July 2022, to become the launch operator of 贰尘产谤补别谤精东影业 E190F fleet. 

Kenya精东影业 Astral Aviation to be the launch operator of 贰尘产谤补别谤精东影业 E190 Freighter

• 精东影业 at Farnborough 2022

byMichael Jonga

July 21, 2022

Saudi Arabia to order 40 A350s for new national airline RIA: Reuters

• Aircraft

byGabriele Petrauskaite

October 24, 2022

The aircraft, one of three B767s in EA精东影业 fleet, was converted in partnership with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) at the airline精东影业 MRO facilities in Addis Ababa, according to a published by Ethiopian Airlines.  

The aircraft will be deployed to support and expand EA精东影业 cargo operations to meet demand for e-commerce in Addis Ababa, according to Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO, Mesfin Tasew. 

鈥淎s a fast-growing airline, our partnership with IAI, one of the global technology leaders in the Aerospace industry, is crucial in technology and skill transfer in the field of maintenance, repair and overhaul,鈥� said Tasew in the statement.  

Tasew added, 鈥淓thiopian Airlines is committed to get closer to its customers with high quality cargo services. In addition to our latest freighter fleets, the converted B767 aircraft will augment our growing local and international cargo destinations with more load capacities.鈥� 

According to the statement, Ethiopian Airlines鈥� second B767 aircraft, currently undergoing the same conversion, is expected to be completed in a few months. 

Ethiopian Airlines to operate Africa精东影业 first A350-1000 after converting order

• Airlines

byMichael Jonga

July 29, 2022

Ethiopian Airlines fleet modernization  

The conversion is part of EA精东影业 fleet modernization program targeting the replacement of ageing airplanes with 鈥渦ltramodern and technologically-advanced鈥� aircraft, the airline continued.  

In July 2022, Ethiopian Airlines (EA) became Africa精东影业 first airline customer of the A350-1000 after it upsized four of its A350-900 on order to the largest variant of the A350 Family. 

In a Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mesfin Tasew stated that 鈥渦psizing鈥� to the A350-1000 will allow the airline to 鈥渟tay ahead of the curve in technology鈥�. 

Ethiopian Airlines firms all-Boeing cargo fleet, orders five 777 freighters

• Civil Aviation

byMichael Jonga

May 26, 2022

The Addis Ababa-based carrier also boosted its all-Boeing cargo fleet with an order for five 777 Freighters, in May 2022. 

Ethiopian Airlines鈥� cargo-dedicated fleet is comprised of four 737-800 freighters as well as nine Boeing B777-200LRF. 

In addition to the airline精东影业 cargo fleet, EA operates a combined passenger fleet of 鈥渕ore than 80 Boeing jets鈥� including 737s, 767s, 787s and 777s. 

Ethiopian Airlines resumes 737MAX8 order, receives first since 2019 accident

• Airlines

byMichael Jonga

July 4, 2022

Ethiopian Airlines set to convert older Dash 8-400s to freighters

• Aircraft

byMichael Jonga

July 21, 2022

Sutter is the chief executive of Avensis, which specializes in passenger-to-freighter conversions, and is also the first advocate member in Europe of the International Aviation Women精东影业 Association (IAWA).  

鈥淭hroughout my career, I was very lucky to work with very talented women in the aviation industry. And they generously mentored me and helped me to fast-track my career to the place I am today,鈥� Sutter explains. 鈥淎t the same time, I witnessed many of the inequalities and the challenges that women had to overcome to succeed within this industry.鈥� 

IAWA精东影业 mission is to empower female leaders in the aviation and aerospace industries, and it describes an advocate as 鈥渁 man, or a person who identifies as male, who otherwise meets the requirements of membership in any other category. An Advocate is not a member, but will support, promote, back, encourage and sponsor IAWA.鈥� 

Cabin design specialist Sutter said that hearing from his early mentors about the challenges they had to face made him realize he wanted to help influence change.  

鈥淚 thought it was only right to use my position to actively get involved in supporting and driving the agenda of bridging that gap between women and men in the aviation industry,鈥� Sutter tells 精东影业 in an interview.  

Claire Richardson, an aerospace design engineer at Avensis, joins us for the interview. Her story will probably be all too familiar to many women who have struggled to get into the aviation industry. Despite being fascinated with how what are essentially big lumps of metal get into the sky, it was only after leaving school, when she was 21, that she realized the career opportunities.  

鈥淎lthough I did really well in manufacturing technology, math and science, I just had no idea I could make an exciting career out of them. It was all very stereotypical roles that were being offered,鈥� she explains.  

It was a chance meeting with a person who had their own aviation business and who offered Richardson an apprenticeship that changed her life and set her on the path of aerospace design.  

鈥淓ven when I was at college during my apprenticeship, I was the only girl in my lectures,鈥� Richardson reminisces. 鈥淔rom my experience, I think more needs to be done to drive awareness that there are amazing opportunities available. And that there are different career choices for women and people from different backgrounds.鈥� 

Sutter says while there has been progress in achieving equality in aviation, it hasn鈥檛 been as fast as it should have been. 鈥淭hat’s why having roles like being an advocate for IAWA is so important. 

鈥淚 think it sounds very counterintuitive, being a male advocate driving the women and diversity agenda, because essentially, we outnumber women in the aviation industry. But having said that, we can use our position now to drive the agenda of removing the blockers and become enablers in paving the way.鈥� 

Riding the cargo wave 

Avensis tapped into a growing market during the pandemic, with its passenger-to-freighter conversions. With passenger planes grounded due to COVID-19 restrictions, many carriers had to adapt to be able to continue carrying freight around, especially healthcare products.  

Avensis offers a range of conversions, including ones that can minimize cabin changes and are easily reversible, right through to a permanent modification including a Main Deck Cargo Door (MDCD) and full cargo loading system. 

Richardson explains that it takes about six to eight weeks to physically modify cabins. To transform passenger cabins into cargo compartments, items such as seats and luggage bins have to be removed, then fire suppression and smoke detection systems installed, as well as smoke curtains and cargo liners.  

鈥淚 thought there was a huge opportunity to fill that void in creating the right passenger-to-freighter conversion products,鈥� says Sutter, who has designed cabins for aircraft ranging from the Airbus A320 to the Boeing 787 and the biggest of them all – the A380.   

鈥淎nd at the end of the day, moving from passengers into passenger-to-freighter conversions was the next natural step in my career. We’re still talking about cabins. It is all about designing and engineering the right cabin for the right purpose, whether it’s transporting people, cargo or both.鈥� 

Sutter says the demand for passenger-to-freighter conversions is still strong and predicts it will continue to grow, despite the war in Ukraine and tough COVID-19 restrictions in Asia.  

鈥淥n the other hand, the express market fueled by E-commerce growth doesn’t show any signs of wearing out anytime soon,鈥� he predicts. 鈥淥ur nature is to work with portfolio solutions and products. And we’re actively working on developing new products to match the next market demands.鈥� 

Creating a pipeline of talent 

Like many in the aviation industry, Richardson had to find work in a different branch during the COVID-19 pandemic. She精东影业 happy to be back in aviation now though, working for Avensis.  

鈥淚t was great to see another sector, and I really enjoyed it. But there is something about aviation that I just love. And it’s fascinating, working in aviation. And I love how that pushes you to be your best and to grow as an engineer.鈥� 

Staff shortages have, however, been a topic as the aviation industry recovers from the pandemic, with many companies struggling to rehire people who have left for other industries.  

鈥淚 think one of the biggest issues that the aviation industry, and many industries, are facing post-pandemic is that they haven’t realized that people do not necessarily want to come back to the place where they were before or to do exactly the same things that they did before,鈥� Sutter says.  

鈥淎t Avensis, we have created a flexible, remote and very non-hierarchical working structure that allows our teams and team members to enjoy a balance between personal and working lives, and avoiding commuting hours to get to an office, or even living away from family members or loved ones for weeks on end.鈥� 

In addition, promoting diversity makes for more effective working and a stronger company, Sutter believes. 

鈥淎t the end of the day, having a diverse workforce allows us to create a better working environment,鈥� he says. 鈥淔or us in Avensis, this is all to do with creating a company culture and a company workplace where everyone can freely grow and develop themselves and become the best version of ourselves.鈥�  

Finally, both Sutter and Richardson urge anyone interested in a career in aviation to go for it, be curious, and ask questions because people are usually keen to help.  

鈥淔rom my experience, not all opportunities are advertised,鈥� Richardson says. 鈥淪o don’t be afraid to reach out to people. You never know, the worst they’re going to say is no, or they could give you the best opportunity of your life.鈥� 

Advisory board sets out new flight plan to help encourage women in aviation

• Women in Aviation

byVictoria Bryan

March 25, 2022

Ethiopian Airlines Group plans to convert some of its older De Havilland Dash 8-400 aircraft to freighters, it announced at the Farnborough Airshow, hoping to take advantage of more air cargo opportunities. 

鈥淐argo has played a pivotal role in Ethiopian Airlines鈥� operations over the past couple of years and will remain a key growth pillar of our business over the coming years,鈥� said Tasew in the joint statement. 鈥淭he pandemic and subsequent recovery efforts have given rise to significant opportunities in the cargo space, and we see great value in converting our older Dash 8-400 fleet to freighters to capitalize on these growing opportunities.鈥� 

TAAG signs deal to lease 6 A220s from Air Lease Corporation

• 精东影业 at Farnborough 2022

byMichael Jonga

July 19, 2022

Philippe Poutissou, De Havilland Canada, Vice President, Customer Experience commented, 鈥淓thiopian精东影业 proposal with De Havilland Canada is a superb testament to the versatility of the Dash 8-400 aircraft to satisfy a wide variety of operational requirements and we thank Ethiopian for this confidence in the aircraft精东影业 capability.鈥�  

Poutissou said, 鈥淭his conversion capability will support Ethiopian精东影业 fleet needs and can be offered to other Dash 8 aircraft operators in Africa and neighbouring regions as an additional choice to the conversions De Havilland Canada can perform in Canada or through our Mobile Repair Team.鈥�

Kenya精东影业 Astral Aviation to be the launch operator of 贰尘产谤补别谤精东影业 E190 Freighter

• 精东影业 at Farnborough 2022

byMichael Jonga

July 21, 2022

 

The first deliveries of the E190 and E195 converted freighters are expected to begin in 2024. The aircraft for conversion will come from NAC精东影业 existing E190 and E195 fleet. Both E190 and E195 freighter conversions will take place at 贰尘产谤补别谤精东影业 facilities in Brazil.   

鈥淚t精东影业 great to be doing business with NAC, who has always been a strong supporter of Embraer and regional aviation. Having launched the E190F and E195F very recently, today精东影业 announcement with NAC is a strong indicator of the demand we are seeing for our E-Jet freight conversions,鈥� Arjan Meijer, president and CEO of Embraer Commercial Aviation, said. 

| Nordic Aviation Capital () is the 1st customer for our E-Jet Passenger-to-Freighter conversion program. The lessor will convert up to 10 E-Jets. Read full news:

鈥� Embraer (@embraer)

The news comes two months after Embraer launched the E190 and E195 passenger-to-freighter (P2F) conversion program.  

鈥淓mbraer sees a market for this size of airplane of approximately 700 aircraft over 20 years,鈥� the manufacturer said in a statement dated March 2022, adding that the full cargo conversion would extend the life of the aged E-Jets by 10 to 15 years.   

鈥淲ith more than 1,600 E-Jets delivered globally, customers of this new freighter segment will benefit from well established, mature, global services network, in addition to a comprehensive portfolio of products ready to support their operation from day one,鈥� said Johann Bordais, president and CEO at Embraer Services and Support.  

According to Embraer, E190 and E195 passenger-to-freighter converted jets will have more than 50% extra volume capacity than large cargo turboprops, and up to 30% lower operating costs than narrow-body aircraft.   

The aircraft will enter service with SmartLynx early next year, bringing its fleet of A321 freighters to 15 aircraft. The four A321s were acquired from the Finnair fleet and entered service in 1999 and 2000. Their manufacturer’s serial numbers are 941, 961, 1185, and 1241.

鈥淭he A321 is an interesting asset because it can be converted to a freighter and there is significant activity in this sector of the market right now,鈥� says Jasper van den Boogaard, VP Airframe Acquisition & Trading at APOC. 鈥淚t can also be used for low-cost/long-haul operations (because of its efficiency and range) and it is attractive for part out. The flexibility to utilize any one of these three options made this an exceptional opportunity for the business.鈥�

鈥淎cquiring four well-maintained sistership airframes was an important addition to the SmartLynx Airlines conversion chain, which begins with sourcing the right feedstock as a first step,鈥� commented Zygimantas Surintas, Smartlynx Airlines CEO.