The world’s first Airbus A320P2F developed by Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW) took to the air today (Wednesday 8 December) at ST Engineering’s facility in Seletar Aerospace Park in Singapore.
The A320-200, MSN2737 has received a main-deck cargo door in the forward fuselage on the left side, which is hydraulically actuated and electrically locked; a 9G rigid cargo barrier; a lightweight cargo lining; a manually operated cargo loading system; reinforced floor panels and floor grid; and a Class-E cargo compartment.
It will prepare for freighter operations with test flights over the next few weeks before it is issued with a Supplemental-Type-Certificate by the EASA.
The aircraft will be leased by ST Engineering Aerospace Resources (STEAR) to Vaayu Group, entering service in 2022.
It has cargo capacity for 10 ULD containers and one pallet position on the main deck and seven ULDs on the lower deck, and it has a payload of 21 tonnes.