Airbus A320PF freighters find home at Vaayu Group

When Ras Al Khaimah-based Vaayu Group started operations in 2011, it had three main operational pillars – aviation, advisory services and logistics. In 2019 the company boosted the first of those by becoming the launch customer for Singapore-based ST Engineering’s passenger-to-freight (P2F) conversion for the Airbus A320.

The group ordered five A320P2Fs, with a further five options.

ST Engineering sources the aircraft and Vaayu Group agrees on the specification for the aircraft. For example, said the group’s vice-president, sales and marketing, Mustafa Irfan: “We’ve chosen the IAE V2500 engine, which should have a minimum of seven years’ life left.”

It also has an automated cargo loading system on both decks.

The first A320P2F was placed with India’s Pradhaan Air, the second with Egypt’s Sky Vision. Fly Vaayu is now operating one itself. The A320P2F “is quite a long-range freighter – it can travel up to five hours.” Fly Vaayu’s aircraft is also going for ETOPS certification, which should arrive in the next few months and further increase its versatility.

The example leased to Pradhaan primarily carries live animals; India is a major exporter of livestock to the UAE.

Fly Vaayu’s main category is general cargo – anything from textiles to perishables. The company wants to take on more e-commerce freight, but: “We’re so busy on the general cargo business right now and don’t have the scale [for e-commerce] at the moment,” Irfan said.

That could be remedied by what Irfan sees as the natural next aircraft for Fly Vaayu, the Airbus A330F freighter. That would give the airline the necessary capacity to carry e-commerce loads, which tend to be light, but bulky.

Irfan has lived in Ras Al Khaimah for 18 years, which made the local airport the new airline’s obvious base. “RAK Airport is completely under-utilised and we wanted to offer a gateway to the northern emirates”, as opposed to the normal logistics channels in Dubai and Sharjah, said Irfan. “RAK is an emerging market in an emerged UAE. That’s where the opportunities are.”