VALLAIR has signed an LoI (Letter of Intent) with U.S.-based Global Crossing Airlines (GlobalX) to lease ten converted A321 freighter aircraft. Vallair has been engaged in cargo conversions since 2015 and this ground-breaking agreement will see the Company take its pioneering A321 freighter program to the next level.
The first GlobalX A321 will be delivered by the third quarter of 2021. GlobalX expects all ten A321F aircraft to be delivered and in revenue operation by the second quarter of 2023.
The COVID-19 pandemic has seen a surge in market demand for air cargo as operators struggle to fulfill the ever-increasing requirements of e-commerce. The A321F is the ideal candidate to satisfy this need due to the availability of feedstock, with around 1100 aircraft manufactured, and younger technologies utilized by the aircraft resulting in a fuel-efficient, environmentally friendly freighter variant. On average, Vallair expects operators to see a 20% reduction in fuel burn per payload.
Vallair signed its first LoI for the A321F in August 2019 with Qantas Freight and saw the maiden flight of its prototype A321F take to the skies in February 2020. The partnership with GlobalX will be a testament to Vallair’s expertise and experience as a lessor and within the cargo conversion sector, with GlobalX’s commitment to expansion and progression as an ACMI leader especially in the U.S.
