Maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) company MRO Japan plans to start Airbus passenger to freighter (P2F) conversions in fiscal 2025.
The company has obtained European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification that enables it to undertake conversion work on Airbus passenger aircraft, according to Nikkei Asia. Air Cargo News has contacted MRO Japan for confirmation.
MRO Japan, based at Naha Airport in Okinawa, aims to begin receiving conversion orders for Airbus A320 and A321 aircraft in fiscal 2025.
This follows the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in April by MRO Japan and Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW) to collaborate on P2F conversions.
Under the MoU, MRO Japan agreed to act as a subcontractor for EFW in P2F conversions and provide third party conversion services for EFW's Airbus A320P2F/A321P2F programmes.
With this collaboration, MRO Japan became the first Japan’s first conversion site for the new-generation Airbus narrowbody P2F aircraft.
In October 2022, MRO Japan became certified by EASA as an approved maintenance organisation for Airbus A318, A319, A320 and A321 aircraft.
EFW’s Airbus A320P2F/A321P2F programmes are developed in collaboration with ST Engineering and Airbus, with EFW holding the Supplemental Type Certificate and leading in the overall programme as well as marketing & sales efforts.
To meet the demand for Airbus converted freighters, ST Engineering and EFW set up a network of facilities across Asia Pacific, Europe and the US to carry out conversions for their Airbus P2F programmes, which comprise the A330P2F, A320P2F and A321P2F platforms.
