Bedek, part of the Israel Aerospace Industries group, has been active in the conversion market with certification for Boeing passenger-tofreighter conversions on B737-300/400, B767-200/300 and B747-400 aircraft for a number of years, but last year was certainly a tough one concedes Jacob Netz, director Analysis & Strategy, Freighter Conversions at IAI Bedek Aviation Group.

“The crisis is global and we suffer as the others. We had almost no conversions of B737 and B747 during the crisis, and some customers, with signed contracts, requested, to postpone the conversions,” he said. But lucky for Bedek, they are also an MRO provider which meant they could pick up the slack in conversions by increasing maintenance activity. “This is how we passed the crisis period,” Netz says.

“These days, we can definitely see the change; we get quite a number of inquiries from customers interested in conversions. One of the problems that characterise the air cargo sector is short-term planning. Some customers want to submit the plane immediately for conversion and the problem is to find an available slot.” In fact, all of Bedek’s conversion slots for 2010 and for the first quarter of 2011 are sold out.

B737
For its B737-300BDSF (Bedek Special Freighter) Bedek has delivered 38 with five firm orders and an overall market potential for the period 2003-2018 conservatively estimated at 250 aircraft. The B737-300 conversion programme was launched in 2001. The B737-400 BDSF programme was derived from its successful B737-300 programme and so far five aircraft have been delivered with another four firm orders. Among Bedek’s B737 customers are: GECAS, TNT, Bluebird Cargo, Kitty Hawk Aircargo, China Postal Airlines, Qantas and SAA Cargo.

B747
Bedek has specialised in B747 modifications since 1991 and is one of the few centres which has developed a FAA-approved STC programme for the large freighter. With more than 40 B747- 200 conversions under its belt, Bedekis the largest conversion centre outside the US for the B747-200 Pax and Combiconversions to Special Freighter (SF) andhas undertaken conversions for majorairlines around the globe, including:Lufthansa, UPS, Air France, Alitalia andAtlas Air.

Bedek launched the B747-400BDSF in 2004 and in preparation for this Bedek’s parent, Israel Aircraft Industries Ltd, teamed up with Eolia Ltd – a specialist investment company formed to take advantage of emerging opportunities in the aerospace sector – to create a joint venture company based in Cyprus, PSF Conversions LLP. The purpose of PSF Conversions is to bring to the market a B747-400 Pax and Combi converted to BDSF.

The first and second B747-400 Combito- BDSF conversions were undertaken for Guggenheim Aviation Partner and operated by Air China. The first prototype Pax-to- BDSF (owned by Rabobank and operated by Air Atlanta Iceland) was certified in the third quarter of 2006. Bedek’s order book for B747-400 conversions includes: Guggenheim, Rabobank, GECAS, Atlas Air, Eva Air, Asiana, Avion, Aircastle and Yangtze River Express.

B767-200
Although Airbus types have been the most popular medium wide-body freighters, the Boeing 767 is gaining ground. The increased requirements for replacement of the aging DC-8, and the high cost operation of the A300B4, has led to rising popularity of the B767. The B767-300F remains in production, and conversion activity has picked up on both the 767-200 and -300. Bedek is the sole Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) holder for B767-200BDSF conversions and so far has delivered 43 of the aircraft with 14 firm orders.

The wide body B767-200BDSF interlines with other widebody aircraft carrying standard containers or pallets and consequently requires no alteration in the size of the pallets or containers. “Being a competitively-priced freighter, the B767-200BDSF becomes a leader in the class of medium and medium-to-longhaul freighters.”

The B767 family consists of over 800 aircraft, which translates into a well-established infrastructure and high availability of spare parts, experienced technical crews and aircrews, it added.

B767-300 The latest product offering from Bedek is its B767-300BDSF conversion, with the same concept and similar design, follows in the footsteps of the successful 767-200 conversion programme.

Boeing certified a conversion programme for the B767-300ER in mid-2008, and delivered the first modified unit to All Nippon Airways (three more by the end of 2009). Bedek teamed up with Mitsui & Co. under the M&B Conversions brand based out of Ireland, to develop a similar programme for the B767-300. Certification testing of the first M&B B767-300 conversion began in the fall of 2009 and delivery of the first unit to launch customer EuroAtlantic Airways in the fourth quarter 2009. For B767-300ER the Rigid Barrier configuration carries 24 ULDs (as close as possible to the B767-300F original freighter), while for B767-300 the 9G Net configuration allows carriage of 23 ULDs on the main deck (optimising the payload volume/weight ratio), depending on the type of available aircraft and on the desired profile of operation.

So far, three B767-300 have been converted and redelivered to the customers (EuroAtlantic and Guggenheim) with number four in progress, Netz says. “We signed contracts for more B767-300s conversions and are negotiating with customers on additional conversions for 2011-2012. I believe that once the B787 enters the airlines’ fleets, “plenty” of B767- 300s will be available, and feedstock will not be a barrier.

“As for the demand — if the trend that we see in the cargo market continues — there will be a demand for B767-300 freighters,” he adds.