Alaska Air Cargo has inaugurated the world’s first converted Boeing 737-700 freighter aircraft.

According to the carrier, the aircraft was converted by Israel Aerospace Industries and has entered commercial service transporting goods from Seattle to the state of Alaska.

“This one-of-a-kind aircraft marks the beginning of a new era at Alaska Airlines,” said Wayne Newton, vice president of airport operations and customer service at Alaska Airlines. “With an all-freight fleet, our cargo business is now a stand-alone operation, allowing us to better focus on the needs of our cargo customers.”

The freighter was converted over 19 months in Tel Aviv, and was flown via Belfast and Bangor, Maine to Greensboro, North Carolina for scheduled maintenance, and then to Victorville, California to be painted before arriving in Seattle.

The 737-700 freighter is smaller than Alaska’s existing 737-400 freighter but has a maximum net payload of approximately 19 tonnes and a non-stop range of 3,200 miles.

“The new freighter will transform our cargo business and allow us to provide more efficient and consistent service,” said Jason Berry, managing director of Alaska Air Cargo. “Now we can move more freight than ever before, and optimize schedules to meet the needs of our cargo partners.”

Alaska Airlines has two more 737-700s undergoing conversion in Tel Aviv, which when delivered will allow the new freighter fleet to carry 15% more capacity than the current fleet of one 737-400F and four 737-400 combi aircraft, mainly operating regular services to 17 communities in the state of Alaska.

The combi aircraft are scheduled to be retired by October 18, 2017, according to Alaska Airlines.