IAI Completes First Flight of Converted Airbus A330 Freighter

Israel Aerospace Industries completed the maiden flight of an Airbus A330-300 converted from passenger service into a freighter, departing Ben Gurion Airport for about 75 minutes of systems checks. The program is working toward the supplemental type certificate required before the aircraft enters cargo service. The conversion added a large cargo door after crews removed about 350 seats and 20 tons of cabin equipment and assembled roughly 30,000 parts. IAI says the aircraft can carry about 30 containers and more than 60 tons, and aims within a decade to complete 15 to 20 conversions annually.