Boeing (Stand 1200) has taken an order from Icelease for eleven 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighters. With more than 200 orders and commitments from 19 customers, Boeing will open three new freighter conversion lines to accommodate demand. The first line will open in 2022 at Boeing’s London Gatwick MRO facility, and two conversion lines will open in 2023 at KF Aerospace MRO in Kelowna, Canada.

“Building a diverse and global network of conversion facilities is critical to supporting our customers’ growth and meeting regional demand,” said Jens Steinhagen, director of Boeing Converted Freighters. “KF Aerospace and our Boeing teammates in London Gatwick have the infrastructure, capabilities, and expertise required.”

Icelease serves as the launch customer for conversions from the Gatwick line, and this is its first order for converted freighters from Boeing. The Iceland-based company recently expanded its cooperation with Corrum Capital through a new joint venture, Carolus Cargo Leasing, which will focus on the acquisition, conversion, and leasing of cargo aircraft.

“We look forward to bringing the freighter into our fleet,” said Magnus Stephensen, senior partner at Icelease. “We are confident in the quality and proven record of Boeing’s 737-800 converted freighter and pleased to be the launch customer for their new London MRO facility.” Icelease will fly the freighters on domestic and short-haul routes.

Boeing forecasts a 20-year demand for 1,720 freighter conversions, 1,200 of them standard-body variants. Twenty percent of the demand will come from European carriers and 30 percent from North America and Latin America. The airframer announced earlier this year plans to create additional conversion capacity, including a third line at  Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Company in China and two lines with a new supplier, Costa Rica’s Cooperative Autogestionaria de Servicios Aeroindustriales, in 2022.