Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW), the joint venture between ST Engineering and Airbus, has expanded its footprint in the fast-growing Chinese aviation market through the signing of a new freighter conversion contract with Hengqin Winglet Aircraft Technology (Hengqin Winglet). The agreement marks the lessor’s first Airbus A330 passenger-to-freighter (P2F) programme with EFW.
EFW will undertake the A330P2F conversion at its partner facility in China, with work set to commence in mid-2026. The programme will be supported by technical planning and certification from EFW’s headquarters in Dresden, Germany.
“As a company with extensive expertise in leasing, trading and technical aircraft management, we are pleased to collaborate with EFW on the conversion of our A330 aircraft into a state-of-the-art freighter,” said James Huang, Chief Executive Officer of Hengqin Winglet.
The contract further strengthens EFW’s growing customer base in China, a key driver of global freighter demand. Robust growth in express logistics and cross-border e-commerce continues to spur fleet expansion among operators and lessors.
“We are excited to welcome a new customer into the EFW family of converted Airbus freighters,” said Jordi Boto, CEO of EFW. “The A330P2F stands out as the future of the medium-sized air freighter segment, and we look forward to working with Hengqin Winglet in the near future to grow their A330P2F fleet.”
