German aircraft converter, Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW) has received a large order from Confity Capital Partners (Confity) to retrofit A330 aircraft. When asked about the number of aircraft, EFW’s Head of Communications, Anke Lemke, did not give a specific figure but told CFG that it was a two-digit number. According to her, this applies to both A330 variants, i.e. A30-200P2F and A30-300P2F.
Confity Capital Partners (Confity) is a Financial Advisory & Growth Equity firm based in Dubai, with offices in Singapore, New Delhi, London, Virginia and Florida. The company’s website reveals little about specific projects or investment plans, only naming Stellar Aviation Solutions and the Indian service provider, Mardamed, as partners, with the latter active in the healthcare and medical sector.
Targeting the Indian cargo market
Now EFW has become their third partner since the conversion order is part of a broader collaboration between Confity and EFW. It is aimed at bringing EFW’s widebody Airbus P2F solution to operators in India, in support of the sub-continent’s fast-growing freight market, as well as to global customers in other emerging markets. The strategic push into India follows EFW’s introduction of its standard body A321P2F and A320P2F freighter aircraft to the Subcontinent’s market in 2022.
The freighters will be operated on behalf of Jet Freight Logistics
Practically, the A330P2F conversions commissioned by Confity will start before the end of this year and will be carried out at EFW’s facility in Dresden, Germany, as well as its partner conversion sites across the globe. The launch customer will be Jet Freight Logistics, a listed Mumbai-based forwarding agent with extensive experience spanning over four decades. Jet Freight Logistics will also be the first Indian cargo player to operate the widebody Airbus P2F.
Supporting the upward momentum
“Driven by e-commerce, domestic consumption, rising exports and infrastructure improvements, India’s air cargo market is expected to grow rapidly and hit record volumes in the years to come. Our Airbus P2F programs can serve as a strong enabler in this trajectory, helping Indian operators and the cargo market maintain their upward momentum with proven aircraft freighter solutions,” stated Lee London, SVP Marketing & Sales, EFW.
The A330P2F program comes in two variants – the A330-200P2F and the A330-300P2F – both of which are equipped with advanced technology that offer airlines impressive operational and economic benefits, EFW emphasizes in a release.
Looking beyond this project
“From a broader view, having EFW experts partner with us on this project is a major technical risk reduction as they have proven their capabilities. We can also say we are already looking beyond this project and have additional plans for cooperation in the near future,” said Amit Baum, Senior Partner at Confity.
The A330-200P2F can carry a gross payload of up to 60 tons for over 7,700 km, while the A330-300P2F offers a gross payload of up to 62 tons and a containerized volume of up to ~18,581ft3 / ~526m3. this corresponds to 23% more cargo volume than other freighter aircraft in the same class can uplift. Dresden, Saxony-based Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW) isa joint venture between Singaporean ST Engineering and frame maker Airbus. It combines various aviation and technology activities under a single roof: development and manufacturing of fiber-reinforced composite components for aircraft structures and interiors of the entire Airbus family, P2F conversions of single aisle and widebody Airbus aircraft, and maintenance, repair and engineering services in the context of certification and approval. The company has a workforce of 2,100 employees and achieved EUR 650 million in revenue in fiscal 2024.
