IAI completes maiden flight of Airbus A330-300 freighter conversion aircraft

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has announced completion of the maiden flight of its converted Airbus A330-300 passenger-to-freighter aircraft.

This brings the company a step closer to certifying a new widebody cargo platform designed for regional and medium-haul operations.

The flight was conducted as part of the certification campaign for IAI’s A330-300BDSF program, during which the aircraft and its systems were evaluated under multiple operational conditions. 

It followed the completion of the aircraft’s primary structural phase and extensive ground testing carried out by IAI’s Aviation Group.

Maiden flight clears path toward certification and commercial service

The A330-300BDSF is designed to carry up to 30 containers with a payload capability of up to 61 tons, positioning it as a competitive option for cargo operators serving regional and medium-haul routes. 

The aircraft features an electrical cargo loading system and optimized cargo flow, while a forward-positioned main deck cargo door is intended to speed up loading and unloading, cutting turnaround times and improving operational efficiency.

Guy Bar Lev, IAI President and CEO, argued that the milestone reflects the company’s continued investment in advanced aviation technologies and strengthens its position in the global air cargo market. 

“The A330-300BDSF program further expands our broad conversion portfolio and reinforces IAI’s ability to provide long-term, flexible and reliable solutions to customers worldwide,” he said.

Yaacov Berkovitz, Executive Vice President and General Manager of IAI’s Aviation Group, suggested that the program is being designed around what customers need most: speed to service. 

He said that IAI’s approach supports accelerated operational readiness and earlier revenue realization, noting that the company is leveraging decades of engineering expertise in order to deliver what he called “a highly capable and competitive solution designed to address the evolving needs of the global cargo market”.

IAI now converts both Boeing and Airbus widebodies

The A330-300BDSF program places IAI among a small group of companies worldwide with capability to perform advanced passenger-to-freighter conversions across both Boeing and Airbus platforms, including complex widebody aircraft.

The program builds on the success of IAI’s Boeing 777-300ERSF conversion, which made IAI the first company in the world to achieve a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for converting a 777-300ER from passenger to freighter configuration. The program remains the world’s first and only conversion of its kind.

More than 45 years of conversion experience, now scaling globally

IAI has been performing passenger-to-freighter conversions for more than 45 years, with expertise spanning both narrowbody and widebody platforms. 

Its current conversion portfolio includes the B777-300ERSF, B767-200, B767-300, B737-700, and B737-800, with the A330-300BDSF now adding an Airbus widebody to the lineup for the first time.

IAI said that, as global demand for efficient cargo aircraft continues to grow, it is expanding its network of conversion facilities worldwide to support airlines, leasing companies, and cargo operators looking to add freighter capacity to their fleets.

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