Boeing 787 Freighter Coming?

A Boeing 787 Freighter could be coming sooner than some may think, thanks to conversion specialists.

Kansas Modification Centre (KMC) is reportedly keen on exploring the possibility of converting existing 787 passenger planes into freighters.

The company’s Chief Executive spoke with Flightglobal and stated that, although the concept is still being studied, it remains one of the next priorities for the business as it looks toward the future.

Now, the sole focus rests on the continued development of the 777-300ER converted freighter, with the 787 likely to follow if all studies pan out as intended.

The development of the 777-300ER is the natural progression for this aircraft program, similar to what is seen with the 787, as passenger aircraft begin to age and airlines slowly find ways to offload them for replacement aircraft. This transition brings the opportunity for conversion.

These opportunities arise because these aircraft are still relatively young and do not need to be sent to the scrap yard. As a result, these conversions can add years to the life of these programs, as seen in freighters that are now 40 years old and continue to serve a purpose somewhere in the world.

A New Opportunity For The 787

With the global freighter fleet continuing to age, Airbus and Boeing have moved ahead with their next-generation dedicated units, the A350F and the 777-8F, respectively; however, these are on a larger scale.

For smaller dedicated freighters, many would point to the success of the 767F model, but this is also an aging type. As companies seek better efficiency and newer planes as a modest freighter alternative, opportunities must exist elsewhere.

In steps the 787, specifically the 787-8, which will shortly enter its 15th year with operators. Now, industry talk is emerging over the possibility of converting them to freight, with the smallest variant seeming the most likely choice.

While interest exists from this conversion company, numerous studies are needed to determine the feasibility of this project and what it would take to bring the jet to market, which is viewed as a more complex set of circumstances than with the 777.

Industry Talk Of The 787 Freighter

Boeing has maintained a firm grip on the freighter market for some time, despite Airbus’ attempts to counter its market share; these efforts have thus far yielded little success.

Industry talk surrounding the prospective 787 Freighter has been a prominent feature for many years now, led directly by comments from the former CEO of Boeing, Dave Calhoun.

Calhoun has spoken with leading publications, including Bloomberg, in the past, stating that the freighter model based on the popular 787 passenger aircraft is something of interest and is certainly being considered.

These comments have since been followed by a significant shift across the freight industry, with specific markets benefiting from a surge in demand during the global pandemic, only to see this plateau and be forced into scaling back expectations.

On the other hand, other markets have continued to see steady growth and freight operators have been looking to react and capitalise on emerging demand by securing new freighters to assist their operations.

The Boeing 767F has performed well in this environment, efficiently meeting cargo needs for these operators at a lower cost, thanks to acquisition efforts; however, its long-term prospects in the industry are not as promising as those of a 787F would be.