Aviation

Boeing Expands 737-800BCF Conversion Capacity to Meet Strong Market Demand

BEIJING, Dec. 7, 2021—Boeing and Taikoo (Shandong) Aircraft Engineering Co. Ltd. (STAECO) today announced plans to create additional capacity for the market-leading 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF) to help meet continued strong market demand.

In 2022, Boeing will add two 737-800BCF conversion lines at STAECO’s facility in Jinan, China. The first new line will open in the first quarter of the year, with the second line expected to begin conversions by midyear. Once the two new lines are operational, STAECO will have seven conversion lines dedicated to the 737-800BCF.

“Boeing is pleased to continue growing our strong and mutually beneficial relationship with STAECO by creating additional conversion capacity to meet growing global demand,” said Peter Gao, vice president, Boeing Commercial Sales and Marketing for China. “STAECO has exhibited the expertise and track record of delivering quality freighter conversions and will play a critical role in helping Boeing meet our customer commitments today and in the future.”

Boeing forecasts 1,720 freighter conversions will be needed over the next 20 years. Of those, 1,200 will be standard body conversions with Asia carriers accounting for 40 percent of that demand.

“The successful implementation of the 737-800BCF program at STAECO has become a model of cooperation between manufacturer and MRO on passenger-to-freighter conversions,” said Wang Chao, president, STAECO. “We are honored by Boeing’s ongoing trust and partnership in expanding our capacity through a sixth and seventh conversion line, and we look forward to continuing to fulfill our commitments in support of our mutual customers.”

This year, Boeing announced it would create additional 737-800BCF conversion capacity at several sites, including with existing supplier Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Company Limited (GAMECO), and with new suppliers Cooperativa Autogestionaria de Servicios Aeroindustriales (COOPESA) in Costa Rica, KF Aerospace in Canada, and Boeing’s London Gatwick MRO facility in the United Kingdom.

The 737-800BCF is the standard body freighter market leader with more than 200 orders and commitments from 19 customers. The 737-800BCF offers higher reliability, lower fuel consumption, and lower operating costs per trip compared to other standard-body freighters.

Boeing has more than 40 years of successful experience in passenger-to-freighter conversions, relying on original design data and a deep understanding of the needs of the air cargo industry to deliver a superior, integrated product, including fully integrated manuals and world-class in-service technical support. Boeing Converted Freighters also come with the advantage of being associated with the industry’s largest portfolio of services, support and solutions. Learn more about the 737-800BCF and the complete Boeing freighter family

Aviation

Airbus Enhances A350 Cabin with 10-Abreast Seating

Airbus has announced a new partnership with Jiatai Aircraft Equipment, a Chinese aircraft seating manufacturer, to supply upgraded economy-class seats for the A350 widebody series.

This collaboration, unveiled at the 2024 Airshow China, focuses on developing a newly designed economy seat tailored for the A350‘s New Production Standard (NPS) cabin.

One of the key features of the NPS cabin is the ability to accommodate 17-inch wide economy seats, compared to the previous 16.5-inch wide seats that airlines were limited to in the A350’s earlier configurations.

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This change is made possible by the expanded space in the NPS cabin, which is 35 inches longer and 4 inches wider than the previous version. This extra space is achieved by slightly moving the cockpit wall forward and shifting the rear pressure bulkhead back by one frame.

The wider cabin allows airlines to add up to 30 extra economy seats without compromising comfort. For airlines opting for a 3-4-3 seating layout, the 17-inch wide seats are an excellent choice for a more comfortable passenger experience. However, some airlines, such as Iberia, may choose to retain a 9-abreast layout with wider seats for added comfort.

The NPS cabin also offers enhanced flexibility for airline operators. One major advantage is the ability to easily switch between a 9-abreast and 10-abreast seating configuration without requiring significant downtime for aircraft reconfiguration. Airlines can use the same seat rails, tracks, and IFE interfaces, making the transition smoother and quicker.

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In addition, the design of the floor attachments and air-conditioning systems has been optimized for 10-abreast seating, meaning airlines can upgrade their cabins without needing to make substantial modifications to the aircraft’s structure.

Though it’s still unclear when Jiatai’s economy-class seats will be officially added to the A350’s Buyer Furnished Equipment (BFE) catalogue, the collaboration marks a significant step toward enhancing the A350’s cabin offerings.

With this partnership, Airbus is providing more seating options for airlines, ensuring that they can meet diverse customer needs while improving overall operational efficiency.