Atlas Air and Korean MRO services provider Sharp Technics K have signed a memorandum of agreement to form a joint venture and develop a dedicated MRO facility at Incheon airport for widebody cargo aircraft. The move comes amidst rapid growth in air cargo and e-commerce on a global scale, which has created a demand for converting planes for cargo. The planned custom freighter aircraft maintenance facility at ICN will be able to accommodate multiple wide-body jets at the same time and will be available as early as 2025.

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The partnership with Sharp Technics will allow Atlas Air to streamline maintenance planning for its fleet.in Asia Pacific, with the development serving as a ‘cornerstone for new growth’ to boost ICN and Korea’s position in serving the worldwide aviation MRO industry, according to Kyung-Wook Kim, President of Incheon International Airport Corporation. In May, Sharp Technics K and Incheon airport inked a deal to establish a B777P2F conversion site together with Israel Aerospace Industries.