DHL Express has become the first customer to take delivery of an Airbus A330-300 Passenger-to-Freighter converted aircraft from Elbe Flugzeugwerke, the joint venture between Airbus and ST Aerospace.

“DHL Express is very excited to be bringing the first A330-300 P2F into commercial operation within our international air network,” said Geoff Kehr, SVP of global air fleet management at DHL Express. “The first aircraft is scheduled to strengthen our Asia-Pacific air network, bringing added capacity and increased efficiency to a market where we are seeing dynamic express volume growth.”

Test flights were completed in October and the Supplemental Type Certificate from the European Aviation Safety Agency was awarded in November 2017.

“We congratulate DHL on the delivery of its first A330-300P2F,” said Christopher Buckley, EVP of sales at Airbus. “We are confident that this new-generation and efficient mid-sized freighter will bring significant benefits to DHL’s international express operations. With its large internal volume and unbeatable economics, the A330-300P2F allows operators to step up capacity in markets where existing mid-sized freighters are becoming too small.”

DHL Express has seven additional A330-300P2Fs on firm order, as well as options for another 10. The aircraft can each carry up to 62 tonnes of cargo over 3,650 nautical miles.

The A330P2F programme was first launched in 2012 with the smaller but longer-range A330-200P2F, for which Egyptair Cargo signed a launch contract in December 2014. The A330-300P2F programme was launched by DHL and EFW at the Farnborough International Airshow in July 2016.