Condor’s 29-year-old Boeing 767 with retro livery that was retired in January 2023 and sent to Arizona for storage will now start a second phase with passenger to freighter (P2F) conversion in China. The aircraft will undergo a significant overhaul before handing it over to its new customer.
The 767-300ER set off from its current home at Goodyear in Arizona to Anchorage for a refueling stop, crossed the Pacific Ocean and reached Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport for retrofitting.
The complete P2F conversion process will involve removing the seats and overhead storage bins. Next the floors will be reinforced to handle the cargo weight and standard international shipping pallets.
The conversion also involved cutting out a section of the fuselage to install a large central door. This is necessary for the loading and unloading of storage containers and allows forklifts to drive straight up to the aircraft with cargo. This modification requires a Supplemental Type Certification from regulators as a portion of the aircraft's body is being removed and replaced. The entire process can take between three and five months.
The aircraft was initially ordered by ILFC in May 16, 1988 with its first flight six years later on May 17, 1994.
Boeing delivered the aircraft to China Southern Airlines ten days later and it stayed with the airline till December 1998.
The aircraft then moved to Italy to fly for Eurofly until 2001, when it transferred to Alitalia. It flew for Alitalia for over a decade before ending up with Condor in 2012. Throughout its 29-year history, the 767 accumulated over 114,000 flight hours and flew some 18,000 flights.
Meanwhile Condor still has seven active B767 widebody aircraft.
The airline is undergoing an ongoing fleet renewal to replace the 767 with Airbus A330-900s.
Condor took the delivery of its seventh A330neo on June 23. The airline also has orders for 13 A320neos and 28 A321neos to update its short-haul fleet.