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Flipping the Boeing 777-300ER to Cargo :GECAS has partnered with Israel Aerospace Industries on the program
Flipping the Boeing 777-300ER to Cargo :GECAS has partnered with Israel Aerospace Industries on the program
The Boeing 777-300ER widebody passenger jet is the workhorse of long-haul aviation. Powered by a pair of giant GE90 engines — for a long time the world’s most powerful jet engine — the planes have allowed airlines to link continents and cities as distant as Los Angeles and Dubai with frequent nonstop flights.
But early this summer, one specimen arrived at an Israeli airfield set for a dramatic transformation into an air cargo freighter. The plane is a prototype for a program to convert 15 of the giant planes into a cargo configuration that will each be able to carry 100 tons of goods around the globe. As the 777-300ER replaced the iconic four-engine 747 jumbo jet for passenger airlines, the 777-300ERSF — with the “SF” indicating “special freighter” — is set to bring the same twin-engine efficiencies to cargo operators.
From the first blueprint to the first payload, the conversion program involves over 200 people and will take approximately 39 months to clear the myriad of steps including concept definition, design phases from preliminary to critical, physical conversion, and regulatory certification hurdles. For example, the team needs to cut major sections of the fuselage to fit the new cargo door, install a rigid barrier that can withstand forces up to 9 g’s and replace the entire composite floor structure with reinforced aluminum.
The team plans to transform the passenger deck into a full cargo compartment by modifying existing passenger doors and windows. The plane is expected to be able to carry many different kinds of cargo, including express shipments, online orders and perishables, as well as oversized freight — including even live horses or aircraft engines.
The plan also includes a supernumeraries compartment — basically, quarters for crew and company employees — right behind the pilots’ cabin where the galleys, lavatories, passenger seats and other areas were located. “Everyone thinks converting an aircraft from passenger to freighter is a simple process,” says Richard Greener, senior vice president and manager of GECAS Cargo, the freighter platform within GE Capital’s aviation finance business. “Instead it involves similar principles and regulatory requirements that you would face when producing a factory new build aircraft.”
GECAS has partnered with Israel Aerospace Industries on the program to convert the planes for planned delivery in late 2022 for operating lease to GECAS customers.
The first step is measuring every part of the fuselage to get an accurate rendition of the plane on the computer drawing board. Engineers use finite element modeling and extensive ground and flight tests to analyze how the conversion will affect the aircraft. With planned changes to include a new floor, adjustable storage configurations, a wider door and a cargo-loading system, engineers assess the shifts in stress on the plane’s fuselage to determine what additional modifications are needed. “What we’re doing is really re-engineering the aircraft,” Greener says.
The goal is to minimize the weight of the plane and maximize the payload to make it as cost-efficient as possible. When the conversion is complete, the 777-300ERSF, aka the “Big Twin,” will be able to carry something as large as a GE90 aircraft engine on the main deck as well as express and e-commerce cargo.
Greener said he expects a significant milestone will come around next June. That’s when engineers will cut into the plane’s fuselage and bring the freighter design to life. “New structures such as the main-deck cargo door and cargo-loading system will be added to the aircraft and the transformation from passenger to freighter will begin,” he says.
Meanwhile, as the engineers make their changes to the plane’s designs, Israel Aerospace Industries will be working closely with the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel, U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency to validate the work and obtain the necessary approvals and certifications.
These conversions are expected to be a growing business for GECAS as cargo traffic is expected to grow significantly in coming years. Last year, for example, GECAS started leasing converted Boeing 737-800BCF jets to Amazon. Boeing projects that such market segment will double over the next 20 years, and that the world’s freighter fleet will expand from about 1,870 to 3,260 freighters. More than 60% of the new volume will be passenger-to-freighter conversions.
More information about the 777-300ERSF can be found on the program’s website. And in case you’re wondering what a Boeing 777-300ER looks like on the inside, a few years ago the American aviation enthusiast Luca Iaconi-Stewart built a detailed model of the plane from paper. The model includes details like bolts, hydraulic pipes and hinges, and features amenities such as food carts, galleys, and the hidden crew “rest module” that most passengers never get to see.
The completed prototype of Iran’s homegrown trainer jet was shown, bringing the country’s military forces one step closer to self-sufficiency. Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Mohammadreza Ashtiani attended the inauguration of the aircraft’s production line as the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) Air Force welcomed the second “Yasin” advanced trainer jet.
For the next phase of training its pilots for Su 35 aircraft, Iran unveiled the first Indigenius trainer aircraft. Despite Western sanctions, Iran is actively producing its own aircraft and developing its manufacturing capabilities.
The second 2nd Yasin advanced trainer jet has finally been unveiled, after the first prototype appeared in 2019
A production line has been formed. If there's still plans for a CAS variant, we'll likely see the design for it soon https://t.co/jLiEwUhpCK pic.twitter.com/UTABSYMk1o
— Iran Defense|نیروهای مسلح جمهوری اسلامی ایران (@IranDefense) March 11, 2023
The Yasin is a twin-seater, single-engine aircraft that can be used for pilot training, advanced pilot training, and weapon delivery training. It has a maximum speed of around 1,000 km/h and a range of approximately 900 km.
The Yasin’s development is a significant step for Iran’s defence sector because it demonstrates the nation’s capacity to manufacture cutting-edge military equipment at domestically. Iran has been under international sanctions for many years, which has made it difficult for the country to import advanced military equipment from other countries.
The Yasin is part of a larger effort by Iran to strengthen its military capabilities and reduce its reliance on foreign military equipment. It’s also a symbol of Iran’s technological and scientific progress and its ability to achieve self-sufficiency in various areas, including defense.
Following the FAA’s Safety Summit last week, the agency issued a safety alert with specific steps it wants airlines, pilots and others to take.
The FAA is urging the following actions:
- Ensure pilots and flight attendants have the same understanding of what “sterile flight deck” means and the risks associated with extraneous communication during this time.
- Emphasize the importance of awareness of the aircraft in relation to taxiways, runways and other aircraft. This includes reviewing the following previously published SAFOs:
- Encourage personnel to identify and report existing and emerging safety issues through voluntary reporting programs and understand the usefulness of voluntary reporting systems for the operation in which you are engaged.
- Reinforce adherence to published processes and procedures, including checklists, Air Traffic Control instructions, and internal company procedures.
- Ensure Safety Management Systems are accounting for the high rate of change and churn in the industry.
El Al Israel Airlines announced on Thursday that it would resume flights to India in October after a three-year break, citing reduced flight times because of the ability to fly across Saudi Arabia and Oman.
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Using Boeing 737 aircraft, Israel’s national airline will fly four times a week from Tel Aviv to Mumbai. The trip should take 5.5 hours instead of the previous 7.45 hours. Moreover, it will operate twice-weekly flights to New Delhi on larger Boeing 777 or 787 aircraft. El Al reported that the flight time on the trip will decrease to 6.5 hours from 9.
After the recently obtained clearance to fly over the skies of Saudi Arabia and Oman, the introduction of the new routes is now feasible, according to El Al.
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Israeli travelers and businessmen enjoy India. El Al has started using the new route on flights to Asia since Muscat joined Riyadh in allowing Israeli civilian overflights last month. El Al claims that the new Saudi corridor will enable it to increase its service to Australia and Asia.
Archer Aviation Inc. and United Airlines announced plans to launch the first air taxi route in Chicago, between O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Vertiport Chicago. Vertiport Chicago, North America’s largest vertical aircraft takeoff and landing facility, is located in the Illinois Medical District near the Chicago Loop.
This site was selected as the takeoff and landing site for this airport to city center route because of its unparalleled convenience, access and service. From there, passengers will be able to travel to and from ORD via Archer’s Midnight aircraft in approximately 10 minutes. A similar trip by car can take upwards of an hour or more during rush hour traffic.
United and Archer’s goal for its UAM network is to provide residents and visitors in the Chicago Metropolitan Area with a safe, sustainable, low noise, and cost-competitive alternative to ground transportation beginning in 2025. Chicago is the third most populous city in the United States, a center for business, innovation and investment, and home to United’s headquarters.
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This makes it a unique city for Archer and United to build out. The early launch routes will focus in on airport to city center transportation service, which are referred to as “trunk” routes. Once the trunk routes have been established, the next step will be to build out “branch” routes to connect to surrounding communities.
ComEd, the Midwest’s largest utility company, will work with United and Archer to establish the power infrastructure necessary to support eVTOL aircraft operations in and around the Chicago Metropolitan Area.
A Southwest Airlines flight’s safe landing on Wednesday is credited to an off-duty pilot who acted quickly after one of the two flying pilots became suddenly ill.
Southwest Flight 6013 had taken off just after 6:30 a.m. heading for Columbus, Ohio, according to the flight-tracking site FlightAware. As it was airborne, one of its pilots “required medical attention,” a representative for the airline stated, without revealing information about the health condition.
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The pilot then fell unconscious, and the crew moved him to the back of the aircraft where they began to treat him. The flight’s off-duty pilot, who travelling to be a passenger, went to the cockpit and handled radio communications for the duration of the flight. After returning to Las Vegas, the aircraft’s first officer landed at Harry Reid International Airport a little more than an hour after takeoff.
In a statement, Southwest said that a credentialed pilot from another airline who was on board “entered the fight deck and aided with radio communication as our Southwest pilot flew the aircraft.”And grateful for the off-duty pilot’s support and help. “We praise the crew for their professionalism and appreciate our customer’s patience and understanding regarding the circumstance,” Southwest stated in a statement. The FAA said it is investigating the incident.
Emirates, the world’s largest international airline, will deploy its signature A380 aircraft to Bali starting from 1 June 2023, marking a milestone in Indonesia’s aviation history as the first scheduled A380 service to the country.
The new 2-class Emirates A380 service will replace one of the two daily services to Bali currently operated by a 2-class Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. The airline’s debut A380 flight EK368, will depart from Dubai International Airport (DXB) at 03:25 hrs, arriving in Denpasar International Airport (DPS) at 16:35 hrs local time. The returning flight, EK369, will depart Bali at 19:40 hrs, arriving in Dubai at 00:45 hrs local time. All times are local.
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Tickets can be purchased on emirates.com, the Emirates App, at Emirates sales offices, and via both online and offline travel agents. Travelers are also encouraged to check the Emirates website for the latest travel requirements.
On a two-class Emirates A380 aircraft, passengers are offered 58 lie-flat seats in Business Class and 557 generously pitched seats in Economy Class. Customers traveling to and from Bali can look forward to enjoying Emirates’ spacious and comfortable cabins; signature products that offer travelers the best experiences in the sky like the Onboard Lounge, as well as regional cuisine including a number of Indonesian dishes. ice, Emirates’ award-winning inflight entertainment system offers more than 5,000 channels of on-demand entertainment with a wide selection of Indonesian content.
Emirates continues to expand its A380 network to meet increasing travel demand globally. The airline’s flagship aircraft is currently deployed to 41 destinations, including Dubai and is likely to expand to nearly 50 destinations by the end of the summer.
Cirium, the aviation analytics leader, has launched the aviation industry’s first Airline Routes tool to identify actual flights flown by aircraft type.
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It uses applied analytics to derive routes flown by airlines based on satellite-based flight tracking and fuses this with advanced fleet data. The new premium Routes tool is part of Ascend Profiles, a visual descriptive analytics tool which enables businesses to quickly view aircraft intelligence by airline or lessor.
Businesses such as aircraft lessors, banks or aircraft manufacturers are empowered to identify the aircraft flown by route for 1,700 airlines and factor development opportunities or risk into their decision-making. By leveraging satellite-based flight tracking data the tool identifies what routes and aircraft airlines actually flew rather than what they planned to fly providing the most accurate flight completion picture.
India is one of the markets in the spotlight currently, as air travel is helping to boost economic growth in the region. Low-cost-carrier, IndiGo recently announced it was looking to grow its international network and further solidify its domestic operations. According to Ascend Profiles, IndiGo has a fleet of 306 aircraft – (273 in service and 33 in storage), plus 501 on order. Of the delivered fleet, 36% are on operating lease.
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The Routes tool shows which two-way international routes IndiGo was operating this January which it was not in January 2022. For example, 172 flights were tracked on the newly added route between Indira-Gandhi International Airport in Delhi to Tribhuvan International in Kathmandu. All operated using Airbus A320s.
Additionally, the new tool shows the bi-directional routes for which IndiGo has ramped up operations. The carrier saw the most significant growth on the Singapore – Bengaluru route, where it completed 62 flights, all using A320s, this January versus only one flight, using an A321, last January.
IndiGo also substantially increased its operations this year on the Dubai – Ahmedabad route, completing five times the number of flights in Jan 23 when compared with Jan 22. The Airline Routes tool is part of Ascend Profiles which visualizes aircraft intelligence of airline or lessor profiles and provides quick and accurate insights showing the latest 12-month year-over-year flights flown by an airline’s routes and can be viewed by flights, seats and ASKs. The tool is available as a web-app on desktop, tablet, and mobile.
“The Yasin Jet Trainer: Iran’s Answer to Sanctions and Self-Reliance in Defense”
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