Boeing announced on August 22 the launch of a new BCF (Boeing Converted Freighter) line to convert 737-800 jets into freighters in Jordan. The development is carried out in partnership with the local company Joramco, specialist in Maintenance, Repair and Operations (MRO).
Joramco will be the first MRO provider in the Middle East to have a line of Boeing freighter conversions. The American company also has similar facilities in the United States, China, Costa Rica, United Kingdom and is also soon to open new BCF units in Canada and India.
“We’re very excited to grow our relationship with Boeing. The new 737-800BCF capability we’re bringing to our MRO is another major milestone for Joramco, and we are delighted Boeing has selected Joramco as a future site for the 737-800BCF, said Fraser Currie, Joramco CEO.
Located in the Jordanian capital Amman, the new conversion center is in a strategic position “to support future 737-800BCF customers operating across the Middle East, Europe, North Africa, and Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS),” as highlighted by Joramco. The start of activities for the new BCF line is scheduled for 2024.
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“We continue to look for opportunities to bring freighter conversion capacity closer to our customers” said Mike Doellefeld, Boeing Commercial Programs Vice President of Engineering Services, Converted Freighters and Sub-Components. “Connecting with Joramco reflects the potential of a growing region combined with an MRO capable of producing the BCF with the quality our customers expect.”
According to market studies by Boeing, a 65% growth in the global freighter fleet is expected by 2042, when the sector should surpass the mark of 3,700 aircraft.
The growth will require more than 2,800 new production and converted freighters over the next 20 years, including around 1,300 737-800BCF size aircraft.
24 tons of payload
The converted Boeing 737 has been the most requested cargo plane on the world market for decades. The version based on the 737-800 NG model was launched by the manufacturer in 2016.
In the modification process, the original passenger jet loses all the seats and other cabin equipment, giving way to a conveyor belt system to accommodate cargo pallets. Another important item included in the conversion is the cargo door on the left side of the fuselage, for loading and unloading large volumes.
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According to Boeing, the 737-800BCF carries up to 23.9 metric tons of cargo and has a flight range of 3,690 km. The converted cabin has 141.5 cubic feet of space.
