Emirates (EK, Dubai International) has signed a commitment to convert six of its own B777-300(ER)s into freighters, increasing its total order for converted B777-300(ER)s to ten units.
The airline did not clarify whether the additional six units would also be converted by Israel Aerospace Industries under its B777-300(ER)(SF) programme, like the first four announced in November 2021. The Israeli MRO firm has yet to obtain a supplemental type certificate for its conversion of the widebody twinjet. Mammoth Freighters and Eastern Airlines are independently planning to certify their own B777 conversion variants.
Emirates told Cargo Facts it had yet to identify which of its B777-300(ER)s it will convert. The ch-aviation fleets module shows that the carrier operates 124 B777-300(ER)s, of which it owns 64.
The airline's current cargo fleet comprises eleven B777-200Fs with one more due for delivery from Boeing (BOE, Washington National) this month. It plans to return two of the B777-200Fs leased from DAE Capital as the converted -300(ER)s start delivering to reach a target freighter fleet size of 20 units. The first four converted B777-300(ERSF)s are scheduled to deliver between 2023 and 2024; the incremental six will continue delivering through 2026.
