Sichuan Airlines will operate multiple A321PCF units ordered by the Sichuan Aviation Industry Development (SAID) fund. It will be the inaugural operator of the type in China and expects to take delivery of its first unit during the fourth quarter of 2023. The conversion of the equipment will be carried out by 321 Precision Conversions and will be performed at SMECO’s Chengdu-based workshops.
The first aircraft, MSN 1926, will be converted in March 2023. Others will follow it in late 2023 and early 2024. The 20.1-year-old unit operated under the registration N1926B for Air Macau until September 2021, and arrived at Chengdu Shuangliu Airport on January 1, 2023, after a multi-day ferry flight with several stopovers. It will enter conversion at Sichuan Aircraft Maintenance Engineering (SMECO) later this month under the supplemental type certificate of 321 Precision Conversions. SAID did not disclose the exact number of future orders for Sichuan Airlines.
Chen Bo, president of SAID, said, “We are confident that the A321-200(PCF) is the perfect platform for both express and general cargo. The low empty weight, reliability, and quality of the 321 converted by Precision Conversions are second to none.”
Related content: The first China-made Airbus A321 is on its way
Gary Warner, president of 321 Precision Conversions, added, “This is an important milestone in our program. We will introduce the first narrow-body Airbus into cargo operations in China.”
Sichuan Airlines currently operates three A330-200Fs, according to the specialist site ch-aviation. It plans to add two more A330-300(P2F) aircraft on lease, contracted to CDB Aviation. Although the Chinese narrow-body freighter fleet comprises 137 aircraft operated by 12 airlines, all units are of the Boeing 737 and 757 families.
 fund.){kind=link}