EFW redelivers its First A330P2F Aircraft to Air Lease for Awesome Cargo

• This freighter aircraft is the first A330P2F to be registered in Mexico, and will be operated by Mexican airline Awesome Cargo.

Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW), Centre of Excellence for Airbus freighter conversions, today announced it has redelivered the first of three A330 Passenger-to-Freighter (P2F) aircraft to Air Lease, a leading global aircraft leasing company with over 800 owned, managed and on order aircraft in its fleet.

The redelivered A330-200P2F aircraft will be operated by Mexican airline Awesome Cargo. It is the first A330P2F aircraft to be registered in Mexico after EFW received the validated STC (V-STC) for its A330-200P2F and A330-300P2F solutions by the Agencia Federal de Aviación Civil Mexico (AFAC) in November 2024.

operator Awesome Cargo in its mission to serve key routes across Mexico, Latin America and Asia-Pacific, some of the fastest-growing regions in e-commerce. We look forward to redelivering more Airbus P2F solutions which combine sustainability with efficiency to meet the fleet needs of our lessor and operator customers.”

“Through this conversion programme, Awesome Cargo is committed and focused on offering unique and attractive alternatives to its clients: increasing the fleet with aircraft that are highly efficient in fuel consumption and cargo capacity compared to aircraft of the same class,” said Luis Ramos, CEO of Awesome Cargo. “We are adopting a strategic approach that balances fleet expansion with market demand and operational efficiency; working together with e-commerce platforms and logistics providers in order to align its services with customer needs, and raising all the reliability indices of its operation, making it efficient, competitive and safe.”

The todays re-delivered A330P2F is EFW’s number 60 Airbus widebody freighter of the new conversion programme provided to the market. The EFW A330P2F programme comes in two variants – the A330-200P2F and the A330-300P2F – both of which are equipped with advanced technology that offer airlines impressive operational and economic benefits. The A330-200P2F can carry a gross payload of up to 60 tons for over 7,700 km, while the A330-300P2F offers a gross payload of up to 62 tons and a containerised volume of up to ~18,581ft3 (~526m3), bringing a new paradigm of efficiency with up to 23% more cargo volume than other freighter aircraft in the same class.

The freighter aircraft is equipped with a flight crew rest compartment and centre fuel tanks, allowing for both medium haul as well as long haul flights supporting routes connecting Mexico and China. The conversion freighter also utilises a powered cargo loading system suitable for extra-large or heavy cargo on 16-foot or 20-foot pallets.

The Mexican airline had previously operated freighter aircraft that were temporarily modified from passenger aircraft to carry cargo in the main cabin. Building on this experience with light freighters, the airline has now turned to fully converted freighter aircraft, selecting EFW’s A330-200P2F solution to support its growing air cargo operations.

“We are very grateful for Air Lease’s confidence in our A330P2F solution, the most modern converted freighter in the market,” said Jordi Boto, CEO of EFW. “This milestone redelivery marks a significant step in supporting the

AIRLINE - Mexico's Awesome Cargo eyes B737s, US flights

Awesome Cargo (WIN, México City Felipe Angeles) is "considering" leasing two B737-800 converted freighters from BBAM amid plans to start charter flights to the United States, the Mexican cargo specialist said in its application to the US Department of Transportation (DOT) for a foreign air carrier permit.

Based at México City Felipe Angeles, Awesome Cargo (legally TM Aerolineas S.A. de C.V.) expects to eventually operate to some US airports “to support local demand and connectivity with key partners,” it said in its filing. No exact target cities were disclosed in the request.

Last year, Awesome Cargo signed a partnership with WestJet Cargo, with the Canadian carrier operating B737-800(BCF) flights on behalf of the Mexican carrier. Some routes operated by C-FTWJ (msn 32904) and C-FAWJ (msn 35502), include flights from Felipe Ángeles to Chicago O'Hare, and from Guadalajara to Los Angeles International, according to Flightradar24 ADS-B data.

Awesome Cargo’s fleet comprises two leased A330-200 Class E-converted freighters with no full-sized cargo door - XA-DUR (msn 1225) is owned by Air Lease Corporation while XA-LRL (msn 1218) is owned by ALC Blarney Aircraft. It also plans to add two B737-800(BCF)s, which would most likely be used as incremental to Westjet Cargo’s operations, as well as two more A330s to retain widebody capacity when XA-DUR and XA-LRL ultimately undergo P2F conversion.

The company’s current base plan includes the expansion of charter and itinerary flights to Central and South America, starting in 2024’s first quarter, to support connectivity and global supply chains.

Awesome is a privately owned corporation, almost exclusively by Luis Ricardo Ramos Landero, who has all but one of the voting shares. Ramos Landero is the father of Luis Ricardo Ramos Cabrero. Both have extensive experience in the Mexican cargo industry, including running AeroUnion (6R, México City International).

Awesome Cargo also plans to build an MRO base at Felipe Ángeles.

NEW AIRLINE - Mexico's Awesome Cargo partners with WestJet on US feed

Awesome Cargo (WIN, México City Felipe Angeles) has signed a strategic agreement with WestJet Cargo, wherein the Canadian carrier will operate B737-800(BCF)s on behalf of the Mexican one on US-Mexico routes.

The partnership will begin on December 4, 2023, and will initially see WestJet Cargo operating between Los Angeles International and Chicago O'Hare on the US side and México City Felipe Angeles and Guadalajara on the Mexico side "multiple times per week". The operations will feed Awesome Cargo's hub at Mexico City Felipe Ángeles, where the airline bases its two A330-200s in makeshift freighter configurations.

"This partnership is a significant milestone for Awesome Cargo. By uniting forces with WestJet Cargo, we expand our reach into North America and contribute to the evolution of air cargo transport in the region," chief executive Luis Ramos explained.

WestJet currently operates four B737-800(BCF)s under the WestJet Cargo brand, albeit with no separate AOC. The Canadian airline debuted its freighter operations in April 2023 and currently deploys the aircraft on scheduled and charter flights predominantly within Canada, as well as to Chicago O'Hare and Havana International. It has signalled ambitions to enter the US-Latin America cargo market though while speaking of plans to establish a base at Miami International.

WestJet Cargo Executive Vice-President Kirsten de Bruijn confirmed to ch-aviation that the airline will operate under its own code, rather than Awesome Cargo's. It will dedicate two B737-800(BCF)s to the partnership.

For its part, Awesome Cargo - which obtained its Air Operator's Certificate in late October 2023 - has touted plans to add two B737-800 freighters by the end of 2023.

CH Aviation