SAA begins freighter conversion programme

CLIVE EMDON
SAA TECHNICAL has launched a five-year international programme to roll out 30-40 conversions of passenger aircraft to freighters. At the unveiling of the first of its conversions, a Boeing 737-300 at a cost estimate of R24 million, CEO of SAA Technical Jan Blake said the freighter conversion business would boost the airline’s position as a major player in the aircraft maintenance industry. The five-year agreement is with Israeli Aircraft Industries (IAI) and General Electric Capital Aviation Services (GECAS), owners of the aircraft that will be leased to the international TNT courier company. The agreement followed an extensive inspection and evaluation of SAA Technical’s capabilities. IAI were the suppliers of the surround door, and played an important part in the remodelling of the first conversion aircraft through intensive training of 20 of SAA’s technical staff. Blake said they were part of a 60-person workforce on the project that took 130 days to complete. The intention is to bring the turnaround time down to 70 hours by the production of its fifth conversion. James Lindberg, GECAS senior vice-president technical operations, told FTW that the cost of the conversion was of the order of US$3.5m-4m (R24m-R27.5m). The conversion was the 19th undertaken by GECAS, and the seventh for its client TNT. He said the company now had three airlines with 300-400 aircraft in its portfolio, including an airline in China and Israel. Blake said SAA Technical had already begun to convert four aircraft to be used by a South American company and these are due to be completed by March 2007. They would be followed by conversion of two aircraft to freighters for SAA’s cargo division. “The next phase, once we have the experience and skills, will be the conversion of 747s.”