3TOP Aviation Services has acquired three Airbus A321 freighters, marking the narrow-body aircraft investment company’s entry into the cargo market. The aircraft previously operated with SmartLynx and were converted from passenger configuration by Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW). Powered by CFM56-5B3/P engines, the freighters will be integrated into 3TOP’s existing asset portfolio, although no operator or service-entry date has been disclosed.
The transaction expands 3TOP’s portfolio beyond its established A320-family aircraft investments and gives the company its first freighter package. The acquisition also provides exposure to the growing A321F segment, based on the converted aircraft’s higher capacity and range compared with smaller converted narrow-body freighters.
No purchase price, seller, aircraft identifiers, delivery schedule or future routes have been disclosed. The reports also do not specify where the three aircraft will be based or which airline will operate them. EFW performs A321 passenger-to-freighter conversions at its facilities in Dresden, Germany, with the programme involving a large cargo door, a reinforced main-deck floor and removal of passenger-cabin equipment. 3TOP’s chief executive expects A321 freighters to become increasingly relevant in the narrow-body cargo market, but the company has not provided a timetable for deploying the aircraft.