Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has reported that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States and the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel (CAAI) have certified IAI’s Aviation Group’s conversion of Boeing B737-800 aircraft from passenger to cargo configuration. The Aviation Group has now delivered the first two converted aircraft of this model.
With the COVID-19 crisis forcing many airlines into halting passenger service, the demand for cargo flights, crucial to the delivery of medical supplies, medicines, food, and other necessary equipment, has been rising.
Founded in January 2019, the Aviation Group consolidated all of IAI’s activities involving manned aircraft, both military and civilian, into one business unit. It is one of the few facilities in the world that specializes in converting passenger aircraft into cargo configuration. The Group handles both wide-body and narrow-body aircraft, which are operated by some of the world’s largest shipping companies, such as Amazon and DHL.