Newsletter
ES
Sign in

Aviation glossary

Freighter conversion

Also: P2F, passenger-to-freighter conversion, converted freighter

Manufacturing and maintenance

The rebuilding of a used passenger aircraft as a freighter, with a large side cargo door, a strengthened floor and a cabin stripped to take pallets and containers.

What it is

A passenger-to-freighter (P2F) conversion usually takes a few months. Seats, galleys, lavatories and linings come out; a large main-deck cargo door is cut into the fuselage; the floor is strengthened and fitted with rollers and locks for unit load devices; and a rigid barrier is installed to protect the flight deck, along with smoke detection in the cargo area.

Because the work is often done by a company other than the original manufacturer, it is approved through a supplemental type certificate. It gives the aircraft a second career lasting many years, and demand has grown with e-commerce. Among the most commonly converted types are the Boeing 737-800 and 767-300 and the Airbus A321 and A330.

One visible difference: factory-built Boeing 747 freighters have a nose that swings up for loading from the front, whereas converted 747s load only through the side door.

On Vuelopedia

Boeing 747 Boeing 767 Airbus A330

Related terms

FreighterAircraft used solely to carry cargo, with no passenger cabin, a strengthened floor and a large cargo door on the main deck. Cargo airlineAirline dedicated to carrying freight, operating freighter aircraft rather than passenger flights, either on its own account or on behalf of other companies. Type certificateDocument in which an aviation authority declares that the design of an aircraft, engine or propeller model meets the applicable airworthiness requirements. Service lifeThe period of use, measured in cycles, flight hours and years, over which the manufacturer has shown that an aircraft's structure withstands fatigue. ULDStandardised container or pallet in which baggage and freight are consolidated so they can be loaded onto an aircraft as a single unit.
Whole glossary

Cite

To cite this page in academic work, an article or Wikipedia, choose the style and copy the reference. The access date is today.

This page was last updated on October 9, 2026

APA

Vuelopedia. (2026, October 9). Freighter conversion. Retrieved October 17, 2026, from https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/freighter-conversion

MLA

“Freighter conversion.” Vuelopedia, Fundación Poderia, 9 Oct. 2026, vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/freighter-conversion. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Vuelopedia. “Freighter conversion.” Fundación Poderia. Last modified October 9, 2026. https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/freighter-conversion.

Harvard

Vuelopedia (2026) Freighter conversion. Available at: https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/freighter-conversion (Accessed: 17 October 2026).

BibTeX

@misc{vuelopedia_en_glossary_freighter_conversion,
  author       = {{Vuelopedia}},
  title        = {{Freighter conversion}},
  publisher    = {Fundación Poderia},
  year         = {2026},
  date         = {2026-10-09},
  url          = {https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/freighter-conversion},
  howpublished = {\url{https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/freighter-conversion}},
  urldate      = {2026-10-17},
  note         = {Accessed 2026-10-17}
}

Wikipedia

{{cite web |url=https://vuelopedia.org/en/glossary/freighter-conversion |title=Freighter conversion |website=Vuelopedia |publisher=Fundación Poderia |date=2026-10-09 |access-date=2026-10-17 |language=en}}

Explore the encyclopedia

Homethe record of every aircraftAirlinesdocumented fleetsModelsfrom the Airbus A220 to the Boeing 747Compareup to three aircraft, side by sideManufacturerswho builds the aircraft, and their enginesIVCA Rankingair quality, from 0 to 100Newsthe latest from the recordsOn this dayaviation, day by dayVideosone aviation story a day, on videoAirportsthe world's leading onesAccidentswhat every accident changedTimelinethe whole century, 1903 to todayPeoplewho made all of this possibleOn Screenwhen the airliner was the plotTriviaa daily aviation challengeMemoriesa name in an aircraft's historyPresspress releases and Vuelopedia in the mediaYour profilesign in or create your accountAboutwhat Vuelopedia is and who makes it