Elbe Flugzeugwerke hands over eight A330 freighters to Air China Cargo

Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH (EFW) has successfully delivered all eight Airbus A330‑200 aircraft converted for its first major order in China, the company said in a LinkedIn post. The deliveries were completed following a celebratory ceremony this week as the final converted aircraft was handed over in Chengdu. 

The German aircraft conversion specialist said its teams worked closely with partner Ameco in Chengdu to complete the conversions. The collaboration delivered the entire fleet and marked the end of the project, which began with the first aircraft inducted in early 2023. 

EFW’s Head of Conversion Programme, Torsten Kühn, said the company was proud of the cooperation with Air China Cargo and Ameco and looked forward to continuing the partnership in the years ahead. Ameco’s CEO, Shen Min, said the first aircraft delivery had been the starting point of the cooperation and the full delivery of the fleet was the beginning of a new phase of joint work.

The conversion work for the Air China freighters took around two years and combined EFW’s technical expertise and certification with Ameco’s in‑country conversion capabilities, the company added.

The first Airbus A330 passenger‑to‑freighter (P2F) converted by EFW through Ameco had entered service with Air China Cargo on December 15th, 2023. This delivery was part of the eight‑aircraft order signed in 2023, with all aircraft owned by the airline and converted at Ameco’s Chengdu facility. The project demonstrated EFW’s ability to deliver converted Airbus freighters on schedule, marking Air China Cargo’s first operation of A330P2Fs.

The order itself was confirmed through a firm contract between EFW and Air China Cargo for the eight A330 conversions. The first aircraft was inducted at Ameco Beijing and was scheduled for redelivery by the end of 2023. Air China Cargo described adding these converted Airbus freighters as a natural step for its fleet, while EFW highlighted its anticipation of seeing the aircraft in operation under the airline’s livery soon.