Kelowna company completes first airplane conversion of its kind

Unique conversion at KF

Photo: Contributed

The newly configured Boeing 737-800 has space for cargo up front and passengers in back.

Aviation history has been made in Kelowna.

KF Aerospace and Aeronautical Engineers Inc., or AEI, completed the world’s first combination conversion of a Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The newly certified plane features a forward cargo compartment with five pallet positions and a 90-passenger cabin in the rear section.

The aircraft was completed and and delivered to Air Inuit in October.

KF Aerospace engineered and integrated fire detection, halon-based fire suppression and advanced smoke-containment systems for the forward cargo section, while also modifying existing freighter-specific detection systems to meet combi-specific criteria.

“This project reflects the ingenuity, dedication and deep technical expertise of our entire team,” KF Aerospace president Gregg Evjen said in a press release. “KF is proud to deliver a world-first solution that expands what’s possible in aircraft conversion and supports our customers’ complex operational needs.”

The airplane meets the customer’s requirement for a large-capacity mixed-use aircraft, which means it carries both cargo and passengers. KF Aerospace also said the project shows the company’s ability to overcome the regulatory and engineering challenges that have historically limited combi aircraft development worldwide.

“The achievement of the 737-800 combi underscores the power of a true partnership that KF and AEI have enjoyed over the course of three decades,” AEI senior vice-president Robert T. Convey said in a press release. “By combining AEI’s cargo door conversion expertise with KF’s engineering and operational strengths, we are able to deliver a world-first combi that unlocks new possibilities for operators worldwide.”