CARGO CONVERSIONS GAVE PASSENGER AIRCRAFT A SECOND CAREER
Passenger-to-freighter conversion is a substantial engineering project. The A321P2F programme brought together ST Engineering, Airbus and Elbe Flugzeugwerke. Airbus described the installation of a large main-deck cargo door, a reinforced floor and a rigid barrier, together with changes to windows and passenger doors. An aircraft can retain its recognisable outline while acquiring a very different job and a separately approved configuration. [230, A large cargo door for main-deck loading; programme responsibilities]
Airbus FAST records EASA supplemental type certification in February 2020, FAA validation in July and entry into service in October with Qantas on behalf of Australia Post. That is a useful example of how a ceo airframe's commercial life can extend beyond its first passenger operator. It is also a boundary for the simulator guide: showing the conversion in a history chapter does not imply that its loading limits, cabin equipment or procedures describe the passenger variant loaded in Fenix. [231, Programme timeline: February, July and October 2020]
The A321 passenger-to-freighter prototype after conversion. The cargo door and altered cabin belong to a separately approved configuration. Photograph: Airbus newsroom. [230]