Executives from Alfor Aviation have advanced plans for a £50 million passenger-to-freighter (PTF) conversion campus at Teesside International Airport (MME), following an August 12, 2026, site visit to finalize the relocation of the company’s global headquarters.

The planned facility is forecast to begin operations by the end of 2027. According to a press release from Teesside International Airport, the site will have the capacity to convert up to 24 Cargo-Aircraft annually and is expected to create 250 permanent, high-skilled jobs.

Advancing the Teesside conversion campus

The site visit follows a 50-year lease agreement signed between Alfor Aviation and the airport during the Farnborough International Airshow on July 23, 2026. The new campus will be located within the Teesside Freeport, a designation that played a significant role in the company’s site selection process.

Alfor Aviation Director and CEO Omer Mafa cited the free trade zone as a primary draw for the aerospace business.

“A key factor in our decision was Teesside Freeport. As the UK’s largest free trade zone, it provides exactly the kind of internationally competitive environment innovative aerospace businesses need,” Mafa said.

Teesside International Airport Managing Director Phil Forster noted that the agreement aligns with broader growth strategies for the region, positioning the Airports as a comprehensive hub for maintenance, repair, overhaul, and conversion operations.

The Internal Loading System technology

Alfor Aviation, a joint venture founded in 2023 by Turkish industrial group Alarko and British aviation specialists Foravia, is developing a proprietary conversion method for Airbus A330-200 and Airbus A330-300 aircraft.

The company’s Internal Loading System (ILS) diverges from traditional PTF conversions by eliminating the need to cut a large cargo door into the main deck structure. Instead, the ILS utilizes the aircraft’s existing lower-deck cargo doors. Freight is loaded into the lower hold and transferred to the main deck via two internal elevators.

According to technical details reported by Aviation Week, this approach significantly reduces the structural modifications required, lowering costs and shortening the conversion downtime to a targeted three months.

Alfor is currently modifying its first proof-of-concept widebody aircraft at a facility in Beja, Portugal. Ground testing for the system is scheduled for October 2026, with the company aiming to complete the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approval process by late 2026.

AirPro News analysis

We view Alfor Aviation’s ILS technology as a highly ambitious structural departure from established widebody conversion programs. Traditional A330 conversions require extensive fuselage reinforcement to accommodate a main-deck cargo door. By bypassing this requirement, Alfor could theoretically offer a faster and less capital-intensive conversion option.

The success of the Teesside campus hinges entirely on securing EASA Certification for the elevator system. Moving heavy freight between decks introduces novel weight, balance, and structural load considerations that regulators will scrutinize closely. If the October 2026 ground tests validate the concept and EASA grants approval, the promised three-month turnaround time would make the Teesside facility a highly competitive player in the European PTF market.

Sources: Teesside International Airport

On August 14, 2026, Pilatus Aircraft Ltd officially opened its new “Schwarzhorn” composite manufacturing center at its headquarters in Nidwalden, Switzerland, marking the company’s largest single-facility investment to date at 100 million Swiss francs (CHF).

Announced in a company press release, the ultra-modern facility consolidates the development and production of advanced composite components under one roof. The center will house 300 employees and support the manufacturer’s expanded use of lightweight materials in primary aircraft structures, a shift designed to reduce aircraft weight and improve fuel efficiency across its product line, including the Pilatus PC-24 Super Versatile Jet.

Consolidating composite manufacturing

Pilatus has utilized composite materials for 40 years, historically limiting their application to non-load-bearing secondary structures. The introduction of the Pilatus PC-24 Super Versatile Jet prompted a shift toward using these materials for primary structures.

The Schwarzhorn building represents a strategic move to bring both the engineering and manufacturing of these complex components into a single dedicated space. By uniting these disciplines, the Swiss manufacturer aims to streamline production processes and enhance quality control for its composite parts.

Financial investment and corporate strategy

The CHF 100 million cost makes the Schwarzhorn center the most expensive building project in the history of Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. The investment underscores a broader corporate strategy to maintain domestic manufacturing capabilities.

In the press release, Pilatus CEO Markus Bucher emphasized the regional importance of the new site.

“With this building, Pilatus is once again reaffirming its commitment to Switzerland as a place of innovation, manufacturing, and training and to our sustainable development here at our home base, where our roots lie. Costing 100 million Swiss francs, this building is the most expensive facility we have invested in to date.”

The facility is also designed with sustainability in mind. According to reporting by Aviation International News, the building is targeting Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification.

AirPro News analysis

We view the opening of the Schwarzhorn facility as a necessary evolution for Pilatus as it scales production of the PC-24 and looks toward future clean-sheet designs. Transitioning from secondary composite structures to primary load-bearing components requires tight integration between engineering and the factory floor. By spending CHF 100 million to keep this expertise in-house rather than outsourcing to specialized aerostructures suppliers, Pilatus is prioritizing supply chain control and intellectual property retention over short-term cost savings.

Sources: Pilatus Aircraft Ltd

Three months after Spirit Airlines ceased operations, the carrier’s grounded Airbus A320-family fleet is being rapidly dismantled to feed a starved global engine market, leaving dozens of near-new airframes parked indefinitely without powerplants. According to reporting from Aviation Week and EngineStands.com, the liquidation highlights a severe distortion in aviation asset valuations. A global shortage of narrowbody engines, particularly the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G Geared Turbofan (GTF), has made the engines significantly more valuable than the three-to-five-year-old airframes they power.

The rush for narrowbody engines

Lessors and aftermarket providers moved quickly following the May 2, 2026, shutdown of the ultra-low-cost carrier. Willis Lease Finance Corp Chief Executive Officer Austin Willis told Reuters that GTF engines are being removed from Spirit A320s and leased to customers to support aircraft on the ground (AOG). This rapid redeployment provides temporary relief to an industry grappling with severe supply constraints.

The pressure on the narrowbody engine ecosystem is intensifying as lessors repossess assets tied to the former airline. Hanna Lavinskaja, head of EngineStands.com, noted that demand has accelerated for engine transitions and aftermarket support. She highlighted that the imbalance between available maintenance shop slots and rising engine movement is becoming more pronounced across the sector.

Financial data underscores the urgency driving these asset reallocations. Briefs Finance reported that the value of a used Pratt & Whitney PW1127G engine reached approximately $14.5 million in early 2026, marking a 28 percent increase over a three-year period. At the time of its shutdown, Spirit operated 114 Airbus A320-family jets, 66 of which were leased.

Airframes linger in desert storage

While the engines find immediate placement, the airframes face a less certain future. Aviation Week reported in August 2026 that 84 ex-Spirit aircraft are currently parked at AerSale’s storage facility in Goodyear, Arizona. Almost all of the A320neo aircraft at the site have already had their engines removed.

AerSale Chief Executive Officer Nicolas Finazzo indicated to Aviation Week that anticipated heavy maintenance work on these airframes has been slower to develop than expected. Finazzo expects most of the aircraft will eventually return to service rather than being parted out, noting that maintenance bays will fill up as lessors secure new customers for the engineless jets.

However, some airframes are already meeting the cutter’s torch. EngineStands.com data shows that two Spirit A320neos, identified as MSN 10769 and MSN 1092, were acquired for full teardown at just 3.5 to 4 years of age. This makes them among the youngest A320neos ever dismantled for parts.

AirPro News analysis

We are witnessing an unprecedented inversion of traditional aircraft lifecycle economics. Historically, a narrowbody airframe retains significant value well into its second decade of operation. The fact that three-year-old Airbus A320neos are being scrapped for parts illustrates the sheer desperation in the engine aftermarket. The Pratt & Whitney powdered-metal contamination recall has effectively decoupled the value of the GTF engine from the airframe it powers. Until the global supply chain stabilizes and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) capacity catches up with demand, we expect to see more young, engineless airframes parked in the desert, serving as little more than aluminum placeholders while their powerplants generate revenue elsewhere.

Sources: EngineStands.com