This is an important milestone for the company, as AEI’s B737-800SF is considered a useful freighter for European market route structures. Multiple European customers have already expressed interest in AEI’s B737-800SF conversion. AEI currently has FAA, CAAC, and now EASA approvals for its B737-800SF.
The AEI converted B737-800SF freighter offers a main deck payload of up to 52,700 pounds and incorporates eleven full height 88 x 125 inch container positions, plus an additional position for an AEP/AEH. The conversion also incorporates new floor beams aft of the wing box, a large 86 x 137 inch main cargo door with a single vent door system.
AEI’s forward-thinking design allows for containers to be loaded into the aircraft a full 16.5 inches aft of the forward door jamb, ensuring ground operators have sufficient manoeuvring room which minimises the potential door and aircraft strikes. Additionally, the AEI B737-800SF includes a flexible Ancra cargo loading system, a rigid 9g barrier, five supernumerary seats as standard, a galley and full lavatory.
During the last six months AEI has secured an additional 40 orders for the B737-800SF. Currently, AEI has a total of 14 simultaneous freighter conversion production lines, nine of which are dedicated to the B737-800SF and is on track to deliver 24 freighters in 2021 and over 30 examples in 2022.