Saudia Sets Its Eyes On Seven Converted Boeing 777s

Simple Flying

By Luke Bodell

Published May 17, 2022

The Saudi Arabian airline will significantly expand its cargo division with this agreement.

Saudi Arabian Airlines has 33 Boeing B777-300s in its fleet it uses on its long-haul routes. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

Saudia

IATA/ICAO Code:

SV/SVA

Airline Type:

Full Service Carrier

Hub(s):

Dammam Airport, Jeddah Airport, Riyadh Airport

Year Founded:

1945

Alliance:

SkyTeam

CEO:

Ibrahim Alkoshy

Country:

Saudi Arabia

Saudia is set to welcome seven converted Boeing 777 freighters in a move that would double the size of its cargo fleet. The airline says it will order seven Boeing 777-300 P2F aircraft from Florida-based Mammoth Freighters.

Saudia will order seven Boeing 777 P2Fs

The Boeing 777 passenger-to-freighter (P2F) program has caught the eye of several airlines, a list that now includes Saudi Arabian national carrier Saudia. The airline claims it will order seven converted Boeing 777 freighters.

Saudia's agreement will reconfigure the 777s to carry heavy pallets on the main deck, while the airline also has the option for five more conversions. The converted aircraft are believed to be the Boeing 777-300 variant.

Boeing 777-300ER P2F conversions are attracting a lot of demand. Photo: GECAS

Conversions will take place at Mammoth Freighters' new overhaul facility at Alliance Airport in Fort Worth, Texas. Saudia becomes the second 777 P2F customer for Mammoth Freighters after Canadian cargo airline Cargojet signed an agreement for four Boeing 777-200 conversions.

Saudia's current cargo fleet consists of seven freighters - four Boeing 777-200Fs and three Boeing 747-400BDSFs. The airline's cargo strategy will focus on the growing e-commerce market.

Whether the converted Boeing 777s will come internally from Saudia or a third party is unclear. Saudia has 35 Boeing 777-300ERs in its fleet, the oldest of which are over 10 years old.

Saudia_Boeing_777-300ER_HZ-AK23_(24438906750)

Saudia has 35 relatively young Boeing 777-300ERs in its fleet. Photo: BriYYZ via Wikimedia Commons

New conversion center in Jeddah

Saudia Aerospace Engineering Industries (SAEI), the MRO branch of the Saudia group, will establish a new conversion facility in Jeddah in partnership with Mammoth Freighters.

This facility will be capable of hosting widebody aircraft modifications, maintenance, and passenger-to-freighter conversions. Additionally, Saudia and partners will be able to manufacture aircraft structural components in the facility.

It is likely that a portion of Saudia's P2F order will be converted at the new facility, although neither company has confirmed this.

Discover more aviation news with Simple Flying.

The 777 P2F program

Mammoth Freighters is a relatively new player on the P2F scene, having only been established less than 18 months ago in December 2020. It is funded by New York-based private equity company Fortress Investment Group.

The company has made some shrewd moves in a short space of time, including a joint venture with GDC Technics, which gives it immediate access to an established production facility in Texas.

Israel Aerospace Industries, which will complete the world's first Boeing 777-300ERSF conversion this year, recently announced that it has around 50 orders for the Boeing 777-300ERSF.

The 'Big Twin' Boeing 777-300 freighter will be able to transport up to 105 tonnes of cargo and offers a wide fuselage. According to Mammoth Freighters, the aircraft can transport 14% more volume than a Boeing 747-400F.

What do you think of Saudia's conversion agreement? Let us know your insights in the comments.