https://engage.airservicesaustralia....ght-operations


"Dispensations allow for some BAe146 aircraft to be replaced with Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 narrow body freighters. The Boeing 737s and A320 freighters are younger, more fuel efficient and carry more freight per movement then existing aircraft operating overnight to/from Sydney Airport."
I assume A320 means A320 family aircraft.

Very interesting, Tristan. Thanks for the link to the website. Pity that the dispensation is only effective to 30 June, 2021.

This was due to COVID and the requirement for freight. Airlines managed to get a 12 month dispensation for curfew flights.

Yeah.. less RPT flights means less cargo being carried that way .. the lil old 146s/RJs just couldnt cope!

Can confirm -VWZ is undergoing P2F conversion at ST Aero at XSP, she’ll be temp re-registered with a European rego I believe as her conversion will be under EASA certification, before going back to the VH register.

Slight side note - found this YouTube clip on converting an ex Thai A330 -322 to a freighter.

Link to Youtube "Aircraft Conversion XXL"

Coincidentally i watched that just a couple of weeks ago. It's really interesting, although most of the footage isn't of the ex-Thai bird.

Plane Spotters now shows VH-VWZ as 'Cargo' due to Qantas, operated by Express Freighters.

https://www.planespotters.net/airfra...airways/eg2pvr

VH-ULD has not flown much of late, reliability seems to be a big issue, not good when the cargo needs are seeing quite a lot of extra A330 flights.

VH-VWZ has been re-registered VH-ULW with the registered operator now Express Freighters.

Must not be far off, did a test flight Thursday

I think delivery for this one was September and the last one December? I am sure someone could find the original dates.

VH-ULW is currently performing a test flight off the coast of Singapore as QFA7300

Looks like a QF test/acceptance flight based on the flight number

Am reading it will arrive in PER tomorrow as QF7302 arrival 1430L.

VH-ULW is currently halfway to PER and has been cruising at 27,000 feet and kept to 400 knots since departure, making it a 5 hour 40 minute flight.

Odd altitude profile. I'm guessing it doesn't have RVSM approval yet, and while Australian ATC let it come in non-RVSM getting the other countries' approval was too hard.

Thanks for the information on RVSM (Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum), Yusef. At 2 hours 43 minutes into the flight the aircraft slowly climbed to 39,000 feet, taking 50 minutes to do so with speed increasing to approximately 440 knots. The aircraft was approximately 550 miles north of the WA coast at the time.

VH-ULW is scheduled to depart PER for SYD shortly with an ETA of 13:32.

Should pass her sister-ship flying in the opposite direction on QF7349, Sydney to Perth

That would approximate the handover from WIIF (Indonesian airspace) to YMMM (Australian airspace).

The change in ground speed would logically follow, at a higher altitude the most economical true airspeed is higher.

Arriving Perth

http://aegwaspotters.blogspot.com/20...s-freight.html

Is VH-VWY in Singapore getting a Cargo Conversion ?

Yes, it arrived in September I think.

Thks Brenden

Been there since May

https://flightaware.com/live/flight/VHVWY

That's what drew my attention

It takes 6 months to do the conversion, so it can't be too far away now.

VH-VWY rego was changed/ownership to VH-ULY on 24/11/21

Delivery can't be too far away.

I've heard this week Greg.Mayby 01 Dec?:)

ULY had a test flight yesterday.

Performed another test flight today.

Thanks, Tristan

I think these flights are actually QF acceptance flights based on QF Flight numbers. (QF7300 & QF7399)

All the bugs have been fixed.

Scheduled to lease Singapore to Perth around 40mins as QF7301 and ETA Perth 20:30

Another 6 ordered to replace the 737s https://www.qantasnewsroom.com.au/me...opping-demand/

Good to see a domestic capacity increase and another 6 frames from somewhere in the world.

The QANTAS Media Release for the A321P2F order contained the following sentence:

This aircraft is VH-XMB which operated its last flight, QF7350 from MEL-BNE on 19/7/22 and arrived in the early hours of 20/7/22. It had a two hour test flight from BNE on 12/8/22, so it looks as though it is leaving our shores to continuing flying for another freight airline.

VH-XMB is the former VH-TAG from TN/QF delivered in 1986. Amazing effort at 36 years old of age to be still going strong

Yes i photographed VH-XMB the other day at BNE doing it's test flight.I believe off to a Asian freight airline?:)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/794876...in/dateposted/

Indonesia has significant demand and errrm throughput of 737 freighters.

Re the announced 6 additional A321 freighters for QF Freight - coincidentally JQ have 6 older (well 2 are fairly young) A321's.

The possibility of new A321neo's gradually freeing up the 6 JQ A321's to head across to QF Freight?