by SHAFIQQUL ALIFF/ pic by Raya Airways

REGIONAL operator Raya Airways Sdn Bhd will lease four Airbus aircraft from ST Engineering’s aviation asset management business to scale up its operational capacity.

The four-freighter aircraft for Raya Airways will be converted under the A320P2F/A321P2F programme of Elbe Flugzeugwerke, which is the joint venture between ST Engineering and Airbus.

“With the introduction of the A320P2Fs and A321P2Fs into our fleet, we are able to scale up our operational capacity to meet the growing demand, whilst being able to reduce the carbon footprint as we push forward our sustainability agenda,” Raya Airways Group MD Mohamad Najib Ishak said in the statement.

The conversion for the first aircraft, an A321, has started at ST Engineering’s facility in Singapore with expected delivery in the fourth quarter of 2022.

Meanwhile Raya Airways CCO MD Hidayat Rahim said each A321P2F aircraft will offer 27 tonnes while each A320P2F will offer 21 tonnes, which increases the airline’s combined payload by up to 96 tonnes once converted.

He said their unique leasing solutions such as the bundling of aircraft leasing with maintenance repair and operation (MRO) services, when combined with in-house developed P2F programmes and top-notch conversion standards, offer operators best-in-class economics and unparalleled levels of reliability.

“These are truly exciting times at Raya Airways as the added payload capacity will enable them to add numerous major routes to further expand the company’s footprint in the region.

“Our commitment to our clients is that wherever there are economic centres with robust prospects, Raya Airways aims to be there,” he added.

In addition to leasing solutions, ST Engineering provides total lifecycle asset management solutions. These include turnkey aircraft and cabin re-configuration services, aircraft and engine MRO, as well as freighter conversion.