Aeronautical Conversions and Modifications specialist ACIA has handed over the first ATR 72-600 freighter conversion equipped with a large cargo door (LCD) to FedEx, marking the entry of the type into the express carrier's regional freight network.

The handover covers a passenger-to-freighter (P2F) conversion of the ATR 72-600, the current-production version of the turboprop twin. ACIA's conversion introduces a large cargo door on the forward fuselage, allowing the aircraft to accept standard pallet and container positions rather than bulk loose loading through the standard passenger doors.

What does the conversion change for operators?

The large cargo door is the decisive engineering element of the program. Without it, a converted ATR 72 can carry only bulk cargo loaded by hand, which restricts the aircraft to low-density freight and increases ground turnaround times. With an LCD, the aircraft accepts unit load devices (standardized pallets and containers), which aligns the type with the hub-and-spoke handling systems used by integrators such as FedEx.

For FedEx, the aircraft fits the feeder segment: short-haul routes linking secondary airports to main express hubs, where the ATR 72's turboprop economics and runway flexibility outperform narrowbody jets. The carrier has long operated regional freighters in this role, and the ATR 72-600 conversion adds a modern-variant option with the type's current-generation cockpit and propulsion configuration.

Who is ACIA and what is the program status?

ACIA (Aeronautical Conversions and Modifications), the conversion house behind the program, has now delivered its first LCD-equipped ATR 72-600 freighter. First delivery is the operational milestone that separates a certified, flying conversion from a development program: the aircraft handed to FedEx has completed the conversion and certification process and is ready for line operations.

The ATR 72 platform itself is a twin-turboprop regional aircraft produced by ATR, the joint venture of Airbus and Leonardo. The -600 is the current standard, and converted freighters drawn from the passenger fleet give operators a lower-cost route to regional freight capacity compared with new-build freighters, since suitable mid-life passenger airframes are available on the secondhand market.

FedEx, one of the world's largest express freight operators, receives the aircraft into a feeder fleet that moves parcel volumes between small stations and major sortation hubs. Regional freighter capacity has become a focal point for integrators as e-commerce volumes push demand toward thinner routes that do not justify larger aircraft.

What comes next

The first delivery to FedEx establishes ACIA's LCD conversion as a qualified option in the ATR 72 freighter market, alongside the factory-built ATR 72 freighter configurations offered through other programs. Operators and lessors watching the regional freighter segment will now look to whether further converted airframes follow this handover in sequence, and at what cadence, as the indicator of whether the program can scale beyond its first customer aircraft.