Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates- (UAE-) based Etihad Airways has entered into a partnership with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to convert Boeing 777-300ER airliners into freighter aircraft, a process known as P2F for short. The P2F conversion for the 777-300ER was jointly launched in 2019 by IAI and GE Capital Aviation Services.

“We are delighted to announce our partnership with IAI which maximises the potential of our highly skilled workforce and reinforces Etihad Engineering’s position as a centre of excellence in Abu Dhabi in line with Abu Dhabi’s economic vision 2030,” highlighted Etihad Engineering CEO Abdul Khaliq Saeed. “Our commitment to the P2F programme demonstrates our confidence in the ability of IAI to deliver long-term value enhancement of the B777-300ERs in the global fleet.”

“The Abraham [peace] Accords have given IAI the opportunity to expand its global activity to the Gulf region,” stated IAI president and CEO Boaz Levy. “IAI is active in over 100 countries across the world. Establishing the conversion site in partnership with Etihad Engineering is a testament to IAI’s strong ties with the UAE and strengthens its foothold in the region. I am confident that this agreement will lead to many more partnerships with local companies in the Gulf States, which will grow our business in the region.”

While the Covid-19 pandemic saw a severe drop in air passenger traffic, it also saw a surge in air cargo demand. Industry forecasts are that the demand for wide-body long-range freighter aircraft will increase. Etihad Engineering will set up one, then two, conversion lines, which will handle multiple P2F conversions each year.

“The Boeing 777-300ERSF is not only extremely attractive to customers but a technological breakthrough, given that it’s the first in its size category to offer extensive cargo solutions,” explained Etihad Engineering Group CEO Tony Douglas. “Not only do we see the demand, but we view it as a greener, more profitable, highly innovative solution for our airline customers, and an excellent way to drive value for our business.”

The announcement of the IAI/Etihad P2F conversion partnership came only a few days after the announcement of an IAI/Ethiopian Airlines conversion P2F partnership. However, the latter is focused on converting Boeing 767 airliners.