Qantas Wants Airbus To Upgrade Its Converted A321 Freighters
The 20-plus-year-old jets will be getting the latest standards in onboard equipment.
Qantas has signed an agreement with Airbus to upgrade its A321P2F aircraft. The passenger to freighter conversions will get new systems and upgrades to the airframe to deliver greater operational performance.
Specifically, the modifications are set to include LCD displays in the cockpit, the latest standards in weather radars and onboard flight data management, as well as capability for ETOPS 120. Airbus will also apply its extended service goal (ESG) airframe life enhancement program to the freighters.
Speaking about the agreement, Klaus Roewe, Airbus Head of Customer Services, said,
We are very pleased that Qantas is entrusting Airbus’ engineering expertise to upgrade its aircraft to the latest technical standards. This upgrade also shows how Airbus Customer Services is committed to keeping its in-service aircraft current with all modern capabilities, thus preserving the value of the assets and our customers’ long-term investments in our products.”
Airbus will be assisting Qantas in its upgrades of the A321P2F with Service Bulletins, updates of technical documentation and engineering support.
Airbus has delivered a total of six A321P2F aircraft since launching the converted freighter. Along with the three at Qantas, there is one placed with each of SmartLynx, Titan Airways and Titan Airways Malta.
Despite the relatively small number being operated right now, interest in the type has been strong. Global Crossing and IndiGo are among the operators set to being using the type in the coming years.
Qantas’ A321 freighters
Qantas operates three A321P2F aircraft under its subsidiary Express Freighters Australia. The cargo division also has four Boeing 737-300Fs, one 737-400SF, and a 767-300F.
The Airbus freighters are notable because they were the very first of the A321s to be converted from passenger to cargo operations. In October 2020, Qantas took delivery of the first aircraft, registration VH-ULD. This was a former British Midland aircraft, having been in service with the airline from 1998 to 2010. It spent a few years with Onur Air, before being converted to a freighter in 2020.
Since then, Qantas has taken delivery of two more A321P2F, the first of which arrived in October 2021. This aircraft is a former Aero Lloyd plane, and had also spent time at Spirit and Jetstar before being converted.
The final A321P2F arrived in November 2021, having had a similar ownership pathway to its sister aircraft, operating for Aero Lloyd, Spirit, and JetStar before its conversion.
Across the three aircraft, the average age is 22.2 years. While there are other A321s still in operation that are as long in the tooth as these jets, their 20-plus-year-old equipment could certainly do with an upgrade. As such, this agreement with Airbus will go a long way towards keeping them in the skies for many years to come.
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