Hawaiian Airlines Receives First Converted Airbus A330-300 Cargo Freighter

Hawaiian Airlines has received the first of 10 Airbus A330-300s converted into cargo freighters and is gearing up to begin flying the planes for Amazon in October. The airline has signed an agreement with the online retailer to operate and maintain the aircraft under its own air carrier certificate.

The A330-300P2F (passenger-to-freighter) jets are leased from Altavair, a Seattle-based aircraft leasing company, and converted by Elbe Flugzeugwerke, an Airbus joint venture with ST Engineering. The planes can carry up to 61 tons of cargo and have a range of 3,200 nautical miles.

Hawaiian Airlines, which has been flying the A330-300 as a passenger plane since 2010, said the new cargo operation will diversify its revenue sources and capitalize on its strengths. The airline will also establish a new pilot base on the continental US, expand its existing maintenance bases, and hire more staff to support the cargo flights.

“We are excited to help serve Amazon customers by providing additional air cargo capacity and logistics support. This recognizes our experience in providing safe and reliable operations, our incredible front-line team, and our shared focus on the customer,” said Peter Ingram, president and CEO of Hawaiian Airlines.

As part of the deal, Hawaiian Airlines also issued Amazon warrants to acquire up to 15% of its common shares over the next nine years. The warrants are exercisable at $21.32 per share, which is a 10% premium over Hawaiian’s closing price on Thursday.

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, msn.com, newsroom.hawaiianairlines.com, freightwaves.com, businessinsider.com