Israel Aerospace Industries has completed the maiden flight of its first Airbus A330-300 passenger-to-freighter conversion, advancing the aircraft through certification testing for the A330-300BDSF programme. The test flight took place on Friday from Ben Gurion Airport in Israel and lasted about an hour and 15 minutes, with IAI’s Aviation Group evaluating the jet and its systems.
The aircraft underwent major structural work before the flight, including the installation of a main cargo door and the removal of passenger seating. The sortie follows ground testing and forms part of the process needed to secure a Supplemental Type Certificate before entry into service.
The programme extends IAI’s widebody conversion portfolio beyond Boeing aircraft into Airbus’s A330-300. IAI has been developing the type as part of its cargo-conversion business, positioning it as a larger-capacity freighter option for operators seeking converted widebody aircraft. Public disclosures have not yet identified the first customer or a firm entry-into-service date.