FedEx Express has awarded a $470 million contract to convert 87 Boeing 757s from passenger jets tofreighters to replace its less fuel-efficient 727s.
Singapore’s ST Aerospace won the deal and will convert the planes, to be acquired by FedEx,over the next seven years, also maintaining them.
“We are honoured that FedEx has selected us for the implementation of its B757 freighterconversion programme,” said Tay Kok Khiang, president of ST Aerospace.
“FedEx is a major customer of ST Aerospace and is supported by ST Aerospace’s facilities inthe US and Singapore. We look forward to expanding the scope of our support for FedEx as itexpands its operations.”
He said that the company expected to begin work on the first aircraft in May and finish it bythe end of the year, although subsequent conversions would each take about four months once theprogramme, to be carried out at its US facility, ramps up, Tay told Aviation Week.
FedEx is spending a total of $2.6 billion to purchase and convert the 757s, which it expectsto commission between 2008 and 2016.
The converted 757 will have a 20% greater payload capacity than the 727 and have a 25% loweroperating cost per pound, FedEx said in a statement. It will emit less greenhouse gases and helpreduce airport noise, the company said.
The passenger-to-freighter conversion is to be done on a so-called supplemental typecertificate (STC), developed and owned by ST Aerospace based on data licensed fromBoeing. This includes the installation of a side cargo door, strengthening of the main deckfloor and installation of a rigid cargo barrier and cargo loading system.
ST Aerospace’s US facility near FedEx headquarters in Memphis first took on a FedEx Expressaircraft 15 years ago. Since then, the engineering company has provided airframes, enginesand component maintenance and modification for FedEx Express’ fleet of Airbus A300, A310, Boeing727, MD-10 and MD-11 aircraft, and recently returned its 2,500th plane to the carrier.
FedEx chose Boeing for its future fleet growth by ordering 15 777 freighters in November, toreplace its cancelled $2.3 billion (EUR 1.8 billion) order with Airbus for for 10 A380s.
