The parent company of Sichuan Airlines (3U, Chengdu Shuangliu) has taken delivery of an A321-200(PCF), N1926B (msn 1926), after it was handed over to Sichuan Aviation Industry Development Co in Chengdu on November 8, 2023. That entity will lease the aircraft to its subsidiary.

The former Air Macau aircraft was converted at the Sichuan Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Co. (SMECO) facility at Chengdu. The Sichuan Airlines Group holds a stake in the factory. SMECO will convert another three A321-200s for Sichuan Aviation Industry Development Co. In October, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) certified SMECO's A321-200PCF conversion program which opens the way for Sichuan Airlines and other Chinese airlines to operate A321s converted at the facility.

According to ch-aviation fleets data, Sichuan Airlines operates one A330-300(P2F) and three A330-200Fs, the only dedicated freighters in its broader fleet of 194 aircraft. The airline says it wants to grow its cargo operations and also expects to take delivery of two more A330-330P2Fs soon. The A321-200PCF is expected to begin revenue operations in early 2024.

ch-aviation data shows there are 268 freighters based in China, spread across 18 operators. Of that number, 229 are Boeing freighters, 33 are Ilyushin Design Bureau freighters, two COMAC freighters, and just four (all at Sichuan Airlines) are Airbus freighters.