Aeronautical Engineers, Inc. (AEI) has announced that the company has entered into an agreement to provide Macquarie AirFinance with four B737-800SF freighter conversions to help meet the growing demand in e-commerce and express cargo.

The aircraft will be converted to freighters by the authorized AEI Conversion Center, Commercial Jet in Miami, Florida. Passenger-to-freighter conversions form a natural progression of Macquarie AirFinance?s portfolio strategy, enabling the useful life of aircraft to be extended up to 40 years.

?We welcome Macquarie AirFinance to the AEI family of satisfied customers and are glad they have chosen the AEI B737-800SF freighter conversion,? remarked Robert T. Convey, AEI Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing. ?Beyond the benefits of lower fuel consumption and operating costs compared to older 737 Classic freighters, the AEI B737-800SF freighter was designed for operational dependability in real-world environments, which is especially beneficial in the fast-paced segment of express cargo.?

John Willingham, Chief Executive Officer of Macquarie AirFinance, said: ?We are pleased to partner with AEI to offer our customers in the air cargo sector a proven and efficient way to expand their operations and replace less efficient aircraft. We are seeing particularly strong demand in the express freight sector as the e-commerce industry continues to grow. As one of the largest lessor owners of mature 737-800 aircraft, it makes business sense to extend their life and continue to evolve our offering.?