Airbus is pondering the development of a freighter version of its smallest wide-body aircraft, the A330neo, prompted by potential customers such as Amazon and UPS, Bloomberg reports, quoting “people familiar with the matter.”
The interest from the online retail giant and the US package delivery specialist could trigger renewed rivalry between the European plane maker and Boeing as the global air cargo market picks up after a decade in the doldrums. Production of the popular B767 freighter has been restricted as the US manufacturer focuses on a military tanker variant that is more than a year behind schedule, the sources said.
If Airbus goes ahead, the cargo model could help lift sales of the A330neo, a re-engined version of the European planemaker's smallest wide-body, which has struggled in the marketplace, the report added.
Both Airbus and Amazon declined to comment, as did Amazon while UPS said it studied options for acquiring new and used aircraft as a matter of routine, adding: “Anything you may be hearing is speculation.’’
In the US, Amazon has signed agreements with Atlas Air and ATSG to lease 40 dedicated B767 cargo airplanes for its Prime shipping service. In early 2017, it announced plans to build a new air cargo hub at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport (CVG) with the investment amounting to nearly $1.5 billion.
The e-commerce giant said that the new centralised air hub in Hebron will “meet demand from Amazon Prime members for fast, reliable delivery” and “support its growing fleet of Prime Air cargo planes”.
Earlier this month, DHL Express launched its first-ever A330-300F in its air network, servicing the fast-growing markets of Malaysia, Vietnam, and Hong Kong with 33% more freight capacity per flight. The initial converted freighter, with a gross payload of 61 tonnes, is flying six times a week on the Penang-Ho Chi Minh-Hong Kong route, serving markets with particularly high e-commerce trade volumes.
It will be followed by three more passenger-to-freighter (P2F) A330-300s which are also scheduled to operate on intra-Asia routes. DHL sees the plane as ideal to provide additional high-volume, lower-density capacity in Asia Pacific, catering specifically to regional e-commerce activity which, in 2017, accounted for 40% of global e-commerce sales.
“The new A330-300s will provide the cost-efficiency and high-volume capacity – carrying more than 20% extra cargo than other mid-range cargo aircraft –needed for businesses to take advantage of these intra-Asian opportunities.”
The A330-300 deployments form the latest stage of DHL Express’ ongoing investments in its air freight infrastructure, with future planned deployments of the A330-300s aiming to increase payload capacity by up to 50% compared to current aircraft.
