Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, January 27, 2004
China refits Boeing-747-400 passenger planes to largest air freighter
Taikoo (Xiamen) Aircraft Engineering Co., Ltd. (TAECO) will cooperate with Boeing Corporation to refit a Boeing-747-400 passenger plane to air freighter.
Taikoo (Xiamen) Aircraft Engineering Co., Ltd. (TAECO) will cooperate with Boeing Corporation to refit a Boeing-747-400 passenger plane to air freighter.
It's for the first time the Boeing refits it's 747-400 as air freighter in the world.
Cao Rihui, director of TAECO based in the eastern port city of Xiamen said that the major refitting projects involve reinforcing the main cargo bay and putting another side cargo door to the plane. The internal wall board will also be changed to highly resistant one.
After the refitting, the plane could take 113,500 kilograms of cargoes to fly 7,600 kilograms.
TAECO is the largest civil airplane repairing base in Asia. Since 2000, the company has successfully refit six Boeing-747-200 and 300 models.
The Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways has ordered the first batch of refitted Boeing-747s. The first one will be delivered in December 2005.