The Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) announced that its freighter conversion program had hit a new milestone this week. The relevant authorities officially approved the passenger-to-cargo makeover project this month and paved the way for the program to achieve the next level.

COMAC established the freighter conversion program for the ARJ21 in May 2020. The project went through a series of research processes such as preliminary design, detailed design, and modification implementation to reach the point where it has now been approved by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). The news was announced on Friday, January 6th, at the manufacturer's Design and Research & Development Center.

The ARJ21 passenger-to-cargo conversion aims to become the leading model in the regional air cargo market. The aircraft will have a maximum commercial load of 10 tons and be compatible with a range of cargo containers. A fully electric main cargo door will be installed during the conversion process, alongside an advanced warning system, independent control of the air-conditioning unit, and a pressure relief and fire suppression system. The manufacturer outlined its aspirations for the new aircraft in a statement confirming the news:

“The ARJ21 Passenger to Cargo is committed to becoming the main model of the regional air cargo market, with a maximum commercial load of 10 tons, safe and reliable, flexible and convenient, high volume utilization, good [cargo] container versatility."

A COMAC ARJ21 in front of a rainbow
Photo: COMAC

Cargo operators Zhongyuan Longhao and Yuantong Aviation, operating as YTO Cargo Airlines, will receive the first two completed aircraft.

About the first ARJ21 freighter

The first aircraft to undergo the transition is the 2018 model passenger jet Unit 112, bearing the registration B-3329. The aircraft began its life with Chengdu Airlines in September 2018. The aircraft then left the fleet in January 2021 for conversion before receiving the ARJ21-700F designation on October 4th, 2022. Both parties have confirmed the first model will join YTO Cargo Airlines, which expects to have it operational by the end of the year.

The manufacturer did not specify when the converted aircraft will take to the skies but has seen significant success with the passenger variant. COMAC delivered its 100th ARJ21-700 at the end of last year, bringing the production capacity of the original type up to 30 per year, an all-time high. The previous annual delivery record of 23 aircraft was achieved in 2020.

The first passenger model to fly for an international carrier was delivered at the end of last year. A COMAC ARJ21-700 registered PK-TJA went to Indonesian regional carrier TransNusa in December. The aircraft is outfitted in the blue, yellow, and green livery of TransNusa and seats 95 passengers in economy class. A second aircraft is due to be delivered within the next two months.

Transnusa AJR21 PC COMAC

COMAC also produced an extended range of the aircraft, a business jet edition, and most recently, a medical-transport configuration of the ARJ21 that it debuted at the Zhuhai Airshow last November. The manufacturer reportedly has 670 ARJ21 passenger aircraft orders and 70 ARJ21 cargo configuration orders from 20 different customers.

Source: FlightGlobal, AirInsight