GLOBALX (Miami Int'l) has signed a letter of intent with lessor Vallair to lease ten A321-200Fs converted freighters with deliveries scheduled between the third quarter of 2021 and the second quarter of 2023. The order includes five units previously announced under an LOI for conversion with Singapore Paya Lebar-based ST Engineering and five incremental.

"Over the next six months, we intend to secure aircraft contracts for both our current and future needs through to the end of 2022 and in agreeing this lease, Vallair has enabled us to achieve this - certainly from a freighter perspective. Our focus has always been on utilising the efficiencies of A320 family aircraft and these pioneering A321 conversions by Vallair have allowed us to extend this to our cargo capability," Chief Executive Ed Wegel said.

GLOBALX currently plans to launch in January 2021. It intends to operate both passenger and cargo services. According to the carrier's investor update from early October 2020, the first of ten initial A320-200s is due to deliver in November 2020. GLOBALX plans to take ten A320-200s and five A321-200Fs in the first half a year of its operations to become the world's leading operator of the latter.

For its part, Vallair is the world's most active lessor in the emerging market for the A321-200F converted aircraft. It owns the first unit of the type recently delivered to Express Freighters Australia (QE, Sydney Kingsford Smith) and has signed a deal with SmartLynx Airlines Malta (LYX, Malta Int'l) for two units. The only other lessor with A321-200Fs in its portfolio is BBAM - two of its aircraft are completing conversions and will shortly deliver to the United Kingdom's Titan Airways (ZT, London Stansted).