The Airbus-led consortium developing the A320/A321 Passenger to Freighter (P2F) conversion has decided to cancel the project, citing “economic reasons”.
“Recent market developments, including the success of the upcoming A320neo, have resulted in more demand for A320 passenger aircraft and less for freighter versions in this aircraft category,” Airbus said in a statement. “In addition, strongly growing passenger traffic results in high demand for used A320 Family aircraft, thus reducing the amount of aircraft available for conversion.”
Airbus, EADS EFW and Russian partners United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) and IRKUT will now begin the necessary legal procedures to terminate the joint venture, officially known as the Airbus Freighter Conversion GmbH (AFC), after it was established in April 2007.
