Inside AEI's 737-800SF conversion.
Egyptair Maintenance and Engineering (M&E) may become the latest company to start converting Boeing 737-800 passenger aircraft into freighters.
“We are studying this conversion work, but at this point it is at an early stage,” an Egyptair M&E spokesperson in Cairo tells Aviation Daily.
Conversion work on passenger aircraft into freighters would complement the Egyptair M&E portfolio, which is one of the largest MRO providers in the Middle East and Africa.
Egyptair took delivery of its first dedicated narrowbody freighter, a 737-800SF, on Feb. 3. The former Egyptair passenger aircraft was sent to Florida-based Aeronautical Engineers Inc. (AEI) in September 2022 to undergo conversion.
AEI says that based on its current order backlog, it expects to deliver around 44 freighters in 2023, with the 737-800SF accounting for most of the deliveries.
Egyptair currently operates 28 737-800 passenger aircraft. Nineteen of those 737-800s are owned by Egyptair, with four being 15 years or older.
Meanwhile, its passenger fleet is tipping toward Airbus with eight A320neos in service and seven A321neos on order from AerCap, Aviation Week Network Fleet Discovery database shows.
Egyptair’s spokesperson says the carrier will take delivery of its next aircraft on Feb. 23, which will be its first A321neo. Egyptair M&E is performing all the MRO work on Egyptair’s growing A320neo family fleet with the exception of the engines.
Egyptair M&E has signed several partnerships recently including with Serbia’s JAT Tehnika and a partnership contract with the Jordanian company Petra Aerospace in the field of repair and overhaul of CFM56-3 engines.
A memorandum of understanding with United Aviation Solutions has also been signed. Egyptair M&E will cooperate with the U.S. company on aircraft, engine and component repair and overhaul, along with marketing the capabilities of Egyptair M&E’s workshops in the U.S. to attract new customers.
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