In a boost to India’s cargo market, Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH has partnered with UAE-based Confity Capital Partners to bring next-gen A330 Passenger-to-Freighter aircraft to the country.
Later this year conversions will kick off at EFW’s global facilities, with Jet Freight Logistics leading the charge as the first Indian operator to deploy the freight.
Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW), the Airbus freighter conversion specialist, and investment firm Confity Capital Partners are teaming up to capitalise on India’s surging air cargo demand.
Through a new multi-aircraft agreement for the A330 Passenger-to-Freighter (P2F) programme, several modern widebody converted freighters will be delivered to India and other emerging markets. The deal marks EFW’s latest expansion into India following its successful rollout of the A321P2F and A320P2F models in 2022.
Conversions under the new agreement will begin in late 2025 at EFW’s Dresden facility and partner sites globally. Jet Freight Logistics, a publicly listed Mumbai-based operator with more than 40 years of experience, will be the first to deploy the A330 P2F in the country.
“We are excited to enter into this strategic partnership with Confity to jointly provide new-generation Airbus converted widebody freighters to the Indian air cargo market,” said Lee London, SVP Marketing & Sales at EFW.
Rising freight demand
India’s air cargo market is expected to grow rapidly in the coming years on the back of continued e-commerce growth, domestic consumption, rising exports and infrastructure improvements.
“Our Airbus P2F programmes can serve as a strong enabler in this trajectory, helping Indian operators and the cargo market maintain their upward momentum with proven aircraft freighter solutions,” London added.
“The A330 platform aligns perfectly with our investment thesis, combining operational versatility with long-term asset value. We look forward to delivering impactful outcomes for our partners, stakeholders and the global aviation ecosystem, ” Sia Ashok, Managing Partner at Confity said.
The Airbus A330P2F programme includes two variants: the A330-200P2F and the A330-300P2F. Both offer advanced technology and strong economics. The A330-200P2F carries up to 60 tonnes of cargo over 7,700 km, while the A330-300P2F handles up to 62 tonnes with a maximum containerised volume of ~18,581ft³ (~526m³)—around 23% more than other aircraft in its class.
Amit Baum, Senior Partner at Confity, added: “From a broader view, having EFW experts partner with us on this project is a major technical risk reduction as they have proven their capabilities. We can also say we are already looking beyond this project and have additional plans for cooperation in the near future.”
The collaboration is expected to significantly boost regional and global freighter capacity, providing Indian carriers with access to next-generation widebody cargo aircraft.
