AVIANCA CARGO / A330-300P2F / N338QT - CEIV Excellence in logistics

Duncan Stewart
 

AIRCRAFT - IAI Marks Major Milestone as Airbus A330-300 Passenger-to-Freighter Conversion Comes Off Jacks

The A330-300 P2F marks an expansion of IAI’s widebody conversion capabilities across both Airbus and Boeing platforms

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), a global leader in aircraft passenger-to-freighter (P2F) conversions, announced today that it reached a milestone in expanding its passenger-to-freighter conversion capabilities for the Airbus A330-300 program. With the aircraft now off jacks, the program has completed its primary structural work and made significant progress toward conversion completion and certification. The program is now entering the ground and flight test phase, with the first flight of the converted aircraft scheduled to take place in the upcoming weeks and certification expected by the end of the year.

The Company is one of a select few worldwide with proven capability to perform advanced conversions for aircraft from both Boeing and Airbus, including complex widebody platforms. As global demand for freighter aircraft continues to rise, IAI is expanding its worldwide network of conversion facilities, in order to deliver flexible, high-value solutions to airlines, leasing companies and cargo operators worldwide.

Boaz Levy, President and CEO of IAI: “This achievement marks another step in executing IAI’s long-term vision to expand its role in the global air cargo market. By continuously advancing our technological and industrial capabilities, we are positioned to deliver scalable and reliable solutions that align with our customers’ evolving operational needs, while reinforcing our leadership in the conversion arena.”

Yaacov Berkovitz, EVP & GM, IAI’s Aviation Group: “This milestone reflects IAI’s ability to transform decades of experience and advanced engineering expertise into long-term value for our customers. Our A330-300 passenger-to-freighter conversion has been purpose-built to meet evolving market demand, delivering a highly competitive value proposition and strong market appeal. As one of the few companies worldwide with the capability to execute comprehensive and highly complex conversions across both narrowbody and widebody aircraft, IAI offers customers greater fleet flexibility, long-term confidence and resilient investment value across market cycles.”

The A330-300BDSF conversion provides a cutting-edge solution for cargo operators, offering increased cargo capacity of up to 30 containers and a payload of up to 61 tons. Designed for regional and medium-haul cargo missions, it enhances loading efficiency through an advanced cargo handling system and optimized cargo flow. The forward positioning of the main deck cargo door further reduces operating time by enabling faster loading and unloading. At the same time, the robust global feedstock pool of A330-300 aircraft provides an attractive next-generation replacement for aging fleets.

For more than 45 years, IAI has been a pioneer and global leader in passenger-to-freighter aircraft conversions, delivering comprehensive solutions across every segment of the aviation market. Trusted by industry leaders including Amazon, Gulfstream Aerospace and DHL, IAI is renowned as the world’s leading conversion house, with unmatched expertise across a broad range of aircraft models and operational requirements.

The Company is a global leader in widebody aircraft conversions and the first company worldwide to achieve an STC for the conversion of a B777-300ER from passenger to freighter configuration. In addition, IAI currently performs advanced conversions of the B767-200 and B767-300, as well as narrowbody conversions of the B737-700 and B737-800, offering a broad and unique product portfolio. This advantage enables IAI to provide flexible, tailored solutions to its customers worldwide.
IAI

DHL AVIATION / A330-300P2F / D-AJFK

 Ton Jochems - BRU

Saudia Cargo / EI-LKD / A330-300F

Ton Jochems - AMS
 

FLEET - Amazon fleet of A330 converted freighters transferred to IAT Leasing

Amazon Air first A330P2F (CVG Airport) 

 Widebody cargo jets were introduced in 2023 and are now flown by Alaska Airlines

The aircraft are operated by Alaska Air Group – which acquired them through Hawaiian Airlines – on behalf of Amazon Air.

IAT Leasing claims to have acquired the portfolio of twin-engine aircraft from funds managed by asset manager Altavair, adding that the acquisition was made on behalf of funds managed by Blue Owl Capital of the USA and financed by MUFG of Japan.

The A330 freighters covered by the transaction are equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines.

SPECIAL LIVERY - Avianca Cargo / N338QT / Airbus A330-343(P2F)

Duncan Stewart
 

All liveries feature comprehensive exterior detailing, including custom base textures and meticulously tuned ambient occlusion. Furthermore, the colors used in this livery have been derived from thousands of samples, painstakingly taken from hundreds of real-world images

FLEET - Amazon continues A330P2F growth

Amazon will soon add more A330 conversions to its freighter fleet, potentially giving rise to a new CMI operator for the type. A 2010-vintage A330-300P2F (1146) that CAM sent to Guangzhou (CAN) in September 2025 for conversion with EFW emerged this month in full Amazon livery.

CargoFacts

FLEET - Saudia Cargo adds A330-300P2Fs

Saudia Cargo will add two Airbus A330-300 passenger-to-freighter (P2F) aircraft to its fleet.

The A330F can fly up to 6,850 km (3,700 nautical miles) and carry up to 62 tons (115,808 lb) of payload, with 26 pallets available on the main deck and an additional 11 pallets (32 LD3) available in the lower hold.
Saudia Cargo currently has two 747-400P2Fs, two 747-400Fs, and four 777Fs.
Photo: Saudia Cargo

FLEET - ULS Airlines Cargo (TC-GOL) has begun operations with its first A330-300(P2F) dry-leased from Air Transport Services Group

Marco Moutinho - MAD
 

NEW LIVERY / REBRANDS - AeroUnion rebrands into Avianca Cargo Mexico

 Mexican cargo carrier AeroUnion announced it will rebrand itself to Avianca Cargo Mexico. The airline, which in which Avianca holds a minority stake, will continue to operate as a separate carrier.

AeroUnion was launched in 1998 and started flying in 2001 with the Airbus A300F. Later, it also operated the Boeing B767-200F. Since last year, it's fleet consists of two Airbus A330-300P2Fs.

Illustration by Avianca Cargo Mexico.

FLEET - AeroUnion begins A330-operations

Mexican cargo carrier AeroUnion has began operating its first Airbus A330-freighter. The aircraft, A330-300P2F N337QT (791), had arrived at the airline's homebase at Mexico City on 4 June 2024 and started commercial flights a month later.

The Airbus is the first of five A330-300P2Fs the airline will operate. They are coming from partner Avianca Cargo, which has signed a lease-agreement for the aircraft with CDB Aviation in 2022. A year ago, Avianca and AeroUnion signed an extensive cooperation agreement in which the two airlines will work together things like network and fleet strategy.

Last month, AeroUnion retired its final Airbus A300, a -600F. The airline has been operating that type since its launch in 2001. Next to its new A330-300P2F, the fleet is made-up of two Boeing B767-200ERBDSFs.

Photo by Avianca Cargo.

 

FLEET - Capital Airlines (China) placed its first A330F into operations, with three more expected to join the fleet in the coming years, flying out of Beijing.

 

FLEET - Galistair Malta A330-300 EI-MAE wears now these "Sinotrans" extra titles

José Ramón Valero

 

SPECIAL TITLES - Mas Air (Galistair Malta)/ A330-343PDF / EI-MAE - Sinotrans title.

Malta's galistair to operate only freighter for Mas Air

MAS Cargo Airline has acquired 49% of Galistair Trading LTD, a European airline specializing in providing Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance (ACMI) leasing solutions.

As part of the commercial and operational agreements, Galistair already operates two Airbus A330-300P2Fs that it recently received more, between cities in Germany and North America, coordinated by mas. 

Sinotrans Limited (commonly referred to as Sinotrans) is one of the largest logistics companies in China.[4] The business areas of the company include storage and terminal services and trucking and marine transportation.[5]

Photo: Seres23

Budapest Liszt Ferenc - LHBP, Hungary

NEW AIRCRAFT - Amazon Prime Air / A330-300F / N4621K

 Photo: Jay Lee

Airbus to join Amazon Air fleet with ten A330-300P2F converted freighters

 Amazon Air has signed a firm agreement to lease ten A330-300P2F freighters from Altavair, taking advantage of the A330’s capacity and economics to help fulfil its one-day delivery promise to Amazon Prime customers. The aircraft will be operated for Amazon by Hawaiian Airlines, which has had A330s as a key element of its fleet since 2010. The ten airframes are being converted from passenger aircraft to freighters by Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH (EFW), the centre of excellence for Airbus Passenger-to-Freighter (P2F) conversions.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Airbus to our Amazon Air fleet,” said Philippe Karam, Director, Amazon Global Air Fleet & Sourcing. “These A330-300s will not only be the first of their kind in our fleet, they’ll also be the newest, largest aircraft for Amazon Air, allowing us to deliver more customer packages with each flight.”

Amazon Air transports customer packages over longer distances in shorter timeframes to deliver on its customer promise of fast, free delivery. The first of their A330-300P2F aircraft is expected to join the Amazon Air fleet in late 2023.

"The endorsement of our freighters by Amazon speaks volumes about the market value of the A330 and the position Airbus wide-bodies are gaining in the cargo market,” said Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Airbus International. “Amazon has built a reputation around delivering their goods to our doorsteps with extraordinary speed and consistency, and we’re very proud that our aircraft are trusted to become a key link in that remarkable logistics chain.”

With advanced Airbus technology that includes fly-by-wire flight controls, the A330 offers an extremely capable platform for freighter conversion. Since the A330’s service entry in 1994, more than 1,700 A330s have been ordered, with more than 1,500 delivered – providing a large source of aircraft to support P2F conversions for many years.

While both A330-200 and A330-300 aircraft are eligible for conversion, the longer-fuselage A330-300P2F is particularly suited for integrators and express carriers, due to its high volumetric payload capability with lower-density cargo.

The A330P2F conversion program, launched in 2012, is a collaboration between ST Aerospace, Airbus and their joint venture EFW.

MNG AIRLINES / A330-300F / TC-MCM - 25 YEARS

 José Ramon Valero

SkyTaxi to add four A330-300(P2F)s

 

SkyTaxi (Poland) (TE, Wroclaw) has signed a Letter of Intent for the lease of four A330-300(P2F)s from Cargo Aircraft Management to expand its current all-B767 fleet, Cargo Facts has reported.

The airline said deliveries are scheduled from 2024 to 2026. The four Airbus converted freighters will complement rather than replace SkyTaxi's existing fleet, which comprises two B767-200(SF)s. The Polish cargo specialist is also planning to add a third B767 in the near future, although it admitted that the availability of the type on the market was very limited.

SkyTaxi told ch-aviation it was too early to discuss the identity of the A330-300(P2F)s.

Both SkyTaxi B767s are also leased from Cargo Aircraft Management. The leasing unit of Air Transport Services Group does not own any A330s at this moment, the ch-aviation fleets ownership module shows, but has conversion slots for 29 units under an agreement with Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW). While the lessor has traditionally focused on widebody Boeing freighters (as well as a small number of B757-200(C)s), it recently acquired two A321-200s as its first Airbus aircraft. Both will be placed with Malaysia's Raya Airways post conversion.

ch-aviation

GEODIS Air Network / Airbus A330-343(P2F)/ G-EODS

 Ton Jochems

UK's Titan Airways adds first A330-300(P2F)

Titan Airways (ZT, London Stansted) took delivery of its first A330-300(P2F) on August 27, 2021, and began operating the Airbus converted freighter exclusively on behalf of French forwarder GEODIS in early September.

G-EODS (msn 713) is a 15.7-year-old aircraft last operated in passenger configuration by AirAsia X through March 2020. The aircraft was subsequently acquired by Stratos and leased to GEODIS. It underwent conversion at Châteauroux airport and was delivered to London Stansted on August 27. Following test flights within the United Kingdom on September 2-4, it was deployed into revenue service on September 5, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows.

GEODIS said the aircraft would operate between Amsterdam Schiphol, Chicago O'Hare, London Stansted, and Hong Kong Int'l for at least five years.

"Our AirDirect service has operated more than 650 air charter flights so far across Asia, Europe, North and Latin America in order to secure capacity for our customer shipments worldwide. The experience gained from these operations has led to the decision to charter our own GEODIS Freighter. This will provide our clients with a reliable schedule of flights, under our operational control, helping them overcome the significant logistical constraints that the market is currently enduring,” Executive Vice-President (Freight Forwarding) Eric Martin-Neuville said.

GEODIS has not had any aircraft operated exclusively on its behalf thus far.

For Titan Airways, the A330-300(P2F) is the first widebody aircraft since the retirement of the only B767-300(ER) in May 2020, the ch-aviation fleets history module shows. The British carrier operates two A320-200s, three A321-200s, one A321-200(P2F), two A321-200NX(LR), two B737-400(SF)s, and two B757-200s. Sister carrier Titan Airways Malta operates one A321-200 and one A321-200(P2F).

ch aviation