By Frank Jackman/Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Singapore Technologies Aerospace, which last year was selected by FedEx to convert 87 Boeing 757-200 passenger aircraft to freighters, Thursday said it has received a supplemental type certificate for the conversion from the FAA. The STC is based on ST Aero's design for the conversion, and was develop in-house by the MRO using data licensed from Boeing. The conversion work used to achieve the STC was done at ST Aero's facility in Mobile, Ala., ST Mobile Aerospace Engineering (MAE). From induction of the aircraft into Mobile to STC approval by FAA took 11 months, ST Aero said.

The contract with FedEx calls for MAE to perform the 87 conversions in three blocks over a period of seven years and includes maintenance work. The ST Aero 757-200SF becomes the third 757 passenger to freighter conversion available in the market and is the only one developed using data licensed from Boeing.

Separately, last week was the first flight of the 767-300BCF (Boeing Converted Freighter), and All Nippon Airways aircraft converted on its behalf at ST Aero's SASCO facility in Singapore. The aircraft is undergoing flight test and certification in Seattle. Certification is expected in June.