The blossoming e-commerce market combined with a general shortage of air cargo capacity is driving a surge in freighter conversions, and no platform is benefiting more in terms of raw numbers than the Boeing 737-800.
An Aviation Week Fleet Discovery analysis shows that 54 conversions of 737-800s to freighters have been done in 2021. The figure not only doubles the total number of 737-800Fs in service, but also marks a new calendar-year record for conversions of a single type. The previous one-year high was 36, reached both in 1995 by the 727-200F, and 1979 by the Ilyushin IL-18.
The surge in 737-800 conversions stems from a combination of several factors. The pandemic-related downturn has removed passenger-aircraft belly capacity from the marketplace, though this affects long-haul routes more than shorter runs suited for narrowbodies.
The rise in e-commerce and general cargo uptick in several markets, notably China, is boosting demand for narrowbody freighters. In response, traditional all-passenger operators such as Sun Country and WestJet are adding freighter flying to help fill the void and diversify their revenue streams.
The 737-800 is an ideal candidate for the job, with more than 4,700 available for conversion, including about 950 that have been in service for 15 years or longer. To date, 106 737-800s have been converted to freighters, Aviation Week data show. About half of them are between 15-20 years old.
The surge in 737-800 conversions continues a trend that began before the COVID-19 downturn and has gained momentum. In 2020, 28 737-800s were turned into freighters. Assuming the pace does not change much, the model is on track to become the most-converted aircraft type sometime in the second half of the decade. The current leader is the 757-200, with 304 conversions.
The increase in cargo conversions is only part of the rise in freighter demand. Boeing is wrapping up its best year ever in terms of orders for new-production cargo aircraft, having booked 80 firm commitments across its three widebody freighter programs, the 767-300F, 777F, and 747-8F. Airbus recently launched the A350F, eyeing the top end of the large-capacity, long-haul freighter market dominated by Boeing.
Meanwhile, established all-cargo stalwarts like the 767 continue to fill conversion slots. Aviation Week data show 25 767-300s have been converted to freighters in 2021, matching 2017’s total and falling just short of the type’s single-year record of 27 conversions, set in 2018.
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