Sichuan Airlines (3U, Chengdu Shuangliu) has taken delivery of an A330-300(P2F) from lessor CDB Aviation after its conversion at the Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH (EFW) facility at Shanghai Pudong. The lessor says it is the first conversion of the type to take place in China.
According to the carrier, B-32D2 (msn 937) was ferried to Chengdu's Shuangliu Airport in the first half of April after its conversion was completed. It was formally handed over Sichuan Airlines on May 15.
"This re-delivery marks a significant milestone for Sichuan Airlines and China as we see the outcome of intense work and collaboration resulting in the arrival of the country’s very first A330-300(P2F),” said Jie Chen, CEO of CDB Aviation. The lessor is a wholly owned Irish subsidiary of the China Development Bank Financial Leasing Co., Ltd.
Formerly 9H-SMC with SmartLynx Airlines Malta (2N, Malta International), the 15-year-old widebody brings to four the number of dedicated freighters in Sichuan Airlines' fleet of 192 aircraft. The airline also operates three A330-200Fs and has plans to add A321-200(P2F)s as well. Via a media statement, Zuyi Shi, CEO of Sichuan Airlines, said B-32D2 would provide extra capacity to meet market demand and further develop the airline's cargo business. EFW, which runs the conversion facility in conjunction with Shanghai Technologies Aerospace Company Limited (STARCO), says there is a growing demand for freighter conversions in China and the decision to begin A330 conversions was designed to give them a first mover advantage. "To offer conversions in China, serving the high demand in this growing market, was an important strategic decision for EFW,” said Jordi Boto, EFW's CEO.
According to media reports, the A330-300(P2F) is deploying onto the Chengdu - Budapest route. The thrice weekly roundtrip will cater to general import-export cargo as well as e-commerce shipments. Budapest Airport is positioning itself as a gateway for air cargo in Central and Eastern Europe to and from China and elsewhere in Asia.
