In 2022, one conversion line will open at Boeing’s London Gatwick MRO facility and two conversion lines will open in 2023 at KF Aerospace in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada.
The £100m Gatwick facility was completed just before the Covid-19 pandemic began, and will perform its first conversion for launch customer Icelease, which ordered 11 737-800s at the Dubai Airshow.
Stewart Wingate, CEO of Gatwick Airport says: “Boeing’s new line will help meet expected strong demand to convert aircraft into freighters that can carry cargo, which reflects our forecasts that cargo volumes handled at Gatwick could also increase significantly if our future airport plans are realised.”
Earlier this year, Boeing announced it would add 737-800BCF conversion capacity at several sites including a third line at Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Company (GAMECO), and two conversion lines with Cooperativa Autogestionaria de Servicios Aeroindustriales (COOPESA) in Costa Rica, opening in 2022.