AEI to provide Macquarie AirFinance with four B737-800SF Freighter Conversions

Aeronautical Engineers, Inc. (AEI) is pleased to announce the company has entered an agreement to provide Macquarie AirFinance with four B737-800SF freighter conversions to help meet the growing demand in e-commerce and express cargo.

The aircraft will be converted to freighters by the authorized AEI Conversion Center, Commercial Jet in Miami, Florida. Passenger-to-freighter conversions form a natural progression of Macquarie AirFinance’s portfolio strategy, enabling the useful life of aircraft to be extended up to 40 years.

“We welcome Macquarie AirFinance to the AEI family of satisfied customers and are glad they have chosen the AEI B737-800SF freighter conversion,” remarked Robert T. Convey, AEI Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “Beyond the benefits of lower fuel consumption and operating costs compared to older 737 Classic freighters, the AEI B737-800SF freighter was designed for operational dependability in real-world environments, which is especially beneficial in the fast-paced segment of express cargo.”

John Willingham, Chief Executive Officer of Macquarie AirFinance, said: “We are pleased to partner with AEI to offer our customers in the air cargo sector a proven and efficient way to expand their operations and replace less efficient aircraft. We are seeing particularly strong demand in the express freight sector as the e-commerce industry continues to grow. As one of the largest lessor owners of mature 737-800 aircraft, it makes business sense to extend their life and continue to evolve our offering.”

The AEI converted B737-800SF freighter offers a main deck payload of up to 52,700 lbs. (23,904 kg) and incorporates eleven full height 88” x 125” container positions, plus an additional position for an AEP/AEH. The conversion also incorporates new floor beams aft of the wing box, a large 86” x 137” Main Cargo Door with a single vent door system.

AEI’s forward-thinking design allows for containers to be loaded into the aircraft a full 16.5” aft of the forward door jamb, ensuring ground operators have sufficient maneuvering room which minimizes potential door and aircraft strikes. Additionally, the AEI B737-800SF includes a flexible Ancra Cargo Loading System, a rigid 9g barrier, five supernumerary seats as standard, a galley, and full lavatory.