GAMECO's first Boeing 737-800BCF conversion line is officially launched
Romain Guillot
 le 18/06/2020 , Maintenance aéronautique
GAMECO (Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Company Limited) celebrated the launch of its 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF) program on June 16 at its Guangzhou-Baiyun base. A door-cutting ceremony (picture) was organised on the first aircraft. This 737-800 (LN 557, N520AM) arrived in Guangzhou on May 18 and was previously leased to Aeromexico.
GAMECO and Boeing launched work on the new production line of 737-800BCF last year in response to growing demand in the air cargo market. A second conversion line for the 737-800BCF will be commissioned by the Chinese MRO provider in the second half of this year.
"We are thrilled to celebrate this important milestone with our team and excited to officially begin production of the 737-800BCF program at GAMECO," said GAMECO General Manager Norbert Marx. "This program is not only a demonstration of the skill and expertise of GAMECO, but also a great opportunity for us to contribute to the development requirements of the air cargo market."
"The celebration today is a demonstration of our partnership with GAMECO. It's not only a milestone of the program, but also a new chapter of our cooperation," said Sixiang Gao, vice president, Commercial Sales and Marketing for China, The Boeing Company. "GAMECO is a world-class MRO provider with the proven ability to complete complex modifications on schedule, and with the highest quality. This program has leveraged the skill and expertise from both GAMECO and Boeing, and responded to market trends and requirements. It's a win-win relationship and will bring immense value to our customers " he added.
Since entering service in 2018, the 737-800BCF program logged more than 130 orders and commitments.
According to the most recent Boeing Commercial Market Outlook (CMO), 2,820 freighters will enter the global fleet over the next 20 years to meet market demand, including 1,220 narrow-body passenger-to-freighter conversions. China is expected is make up a large part of that demand with a forecasted need for 230 new freighters and 500 converted freighters.
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