This represents the most significant deal in the history of the A321F to take place within the air cargo industry.
Vallair has been engaged in cargo conversions since 2015, and this ground-breaking agreement will see the company take its pioneering A321 freighter programme to the next level. The first GlobalX A321 will be delivered by the third quarter of 2021 and GlobalX expects all ten A321F aircraft to be delivered and operating by the second quarter of 2023.
The COVID-19 pandemic has witnessed a surge in market demand for air cargo, as operators struggle to fulfil the ever-increasing requirements of e-commerce. The A321F is the ideal candidate to satisfy this need because of the availability of feedstock, with around 1,100 aircraft manufactured, and younger technologies utilised by the aircraft, which has resulted in a fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly freighter variant. On average, Vallair expects operators to see a 20% reduction in fuel burn per payload.
Vallair signed its first Letter of Intent for the A321F in August 2019 with Qantas Freight and saw the maiden flight of its prototype A321F in February 2020.