Aircraft
Boeing 737-800BCF Defies Freighter Market ‘Softness’
The U.S. airframer’s narrowbody cargo conversion has drawn orders and commitments for 130 units since its launch three years ago.
The Boeing 737-800BCF features 12 pallet positions on the main deck. (Image: Boeing)
The Boeing 737-800BCF features 12 pallet positions on the main deck. (Image: Boeing)

The recent lull in worldwide cargo traffic hasn’t tempered the ambitions of Boeing Global Services’ freighter business in the Asia-Pacific region, as the U.S. airframer prepared to open a sixth conversion line in China this year for the 737-800 Boeing Converted Freighter (BCF) while negotiating the terms of a contract with Singapore’s BBAM Aircraft Leasing covering three of the airplanes. The order, announced Tuesday at the show, calls for the conversion of three 737s in BBAM’s existing fleet. A contract signed last fall with Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Company (Gameco) specifies plans to add the further conversion capacity Boeing believes it needs to meet the robust demand the latest order reflects.