Boeing to expand 737-800BCF aircraft conversion capacity in China

Boeing and Taikoo (Shandong) Aircraft Engineering Co. Ltd. (STAECO) will expand capacity for the 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF) in China, Boeing China announced Tuesday.

In 2022, Boeing will add two aircraft conversion lines of 737-800BCF at STAECO's facility in Jinan, east China's Shandong Province, a new move to meet increasing demand for converted freighters, Boeing China said.

The two new lines will begin passenger-to-freighter aircraft conversion work respectively in the first quarter and by midyear of 2022. When both new lines are operational, STAECO will have seven conversion lines focusing on the 737-800BCF.

The 737-800BCF is a narrowbody-converted freighter model, which has received more than 200 orders and commitments from 19 customers worldwide.

Boeing forecasts that 1,720 freighter conversions will be needed over the next 20 years. Among those, 1,200 will be narrowbody converted freighters, with 40 percent of the demand from Asian carriers.