HAECO Xiamen's first A321 converted freighter.
SINGAPORE—China’s HAECO Xiamen has completed and redelivered its first Airbus A321-200PCF converted freighter, around eight months after inducting the ex-Vietnam Airlines aircraft.
The program, in collaboration with Beaverton, Oregon-based 321 Precision Conversions, began in January 2022.
HAECO Xiamen has long been a conversion partner for Precision’s Boeing 757-200PCF program, dating back to 2010. The Chinese company is in the process of converting one of the 757 lines at its Xiamen facility to the A321 line. The second A321 conversion line should be ready by June 2023.
The newly converted A321-200PCF bears the registration ES-MAG and belongs to Estonian lessor Magnetic Leasing. In its former life, the aircraft entered service with Vietnam Airlines in October 2004. It was operated by Cambodia Angkor Air between 2014 and 2016 before returning to Vietnam’s flag carrier and then being retired.
Precision’s A321 freighter conversion retains the L1 door, while the main deck is 33-in. farther aft than the A321P2F product offered by ST Engineering in partnership with EFW. Both conversions create 14 main-deck positions for pallets, although the final position at the rear of the aircraft must be turned longitudinally, restricting it to a PAG pallet or LD9 container rather than the typical AAA pallet.
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