EFW Expands Global Presence with First A321P2F
Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH (EFW), the center of excellence for Airbus Passenger-to-Freighter (P2F) conversions and a joint venture between ST Engineering and Airbus, has achieved a major milestone.
Brazil’s National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) has validated the Supplement Type Certification (V-STC) for EFW’s Airbus A321P2F conversion program.
This comes alongside the re-delivery of the first A321P2F aircraft to AerCap, which will lease it to Azul Cargo, marking the debut of the A321P2F in South America. Azul Cargo plans to add another A321P2F by the end of the year, boosting its air cargo fleet.
This milestone enhances EFW’s reach, allowing its conversion programs to serve across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Australia. Jordi Boto, CEO of EFW, stated: “With the validated STC from ANAC and the entry of our first A321P2F into South America, we are expanding our global presence and offering new freighter conversion solutions in this growing market.”
Azul Cargo’s Director, Izabel Reis, expressed pride in the arrival of the new aircraft: “These modern aircraft offer more space, reliability, and autonomy for international flights. With these freighters, we are set to transform logistics in Brazil, delivering more agility to our customers.”
Before ANAC’s V-STC approval, A321P2F aircraft in the Americas were primarily registered in North America. EFW’s A321P2F is a breakthrough, as it offers containerized loading on both the main and lower decks, optimized weight distribution, and a payload capacity of over 28 metric tons. This makes it particularly attractive to express carriers. Boto added, “This A321P2F solution offers greater lifecycle value, reliability, and ease of maintenance, ensuring superior performance for operators.”
The expansion in South America complements EFW’s growing operations worldwide, with more than 10% of all EFW P2F aircraft registered in the Americas. These aircraft have completed over 4,000 flights in the past year.
