Air TransportKF Aerospace secures first 737-800 Combi certification
KF Aerospace announced the successful certification of its first Boeing 737-800 Combi conversion on January 8 after the approve by the Transport Canada agency.
The 737-800 Combi features a forward cargo compartment with five pallet positions and seating for 90 passengers in the aft section. The first converted aircraft was delivered to the Canadian carrier Air Inuit in October 2025.
The STC certification expands the utility of the type, building on the large cargo door of the Boeing 737-800SF.
The conversion required substantial redesign of the aircraft’s interior and systems to meet certification requirements, according to the company. KF Aerospace integrated fire detection, halon-based fire suppression, and advanced smoke containment systems for the forward cargo section.
“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,” said Robert T. Convey, Senior Vice President at AEI.
“This project reflects the ingenuity, dedication, and deep technical expertise of our entire team,” said Gregg Evjen, President of KF Aerospace.
Conversions of the 737-800 to cargo configurations have focused on full freighter configurations and are quite popular in the market.
The alternative of maintaining Combi aircraft was common in the past but has lost appeal in recent decades in favor of aircraft dedicated to a specific service profile.
Recently, Textron Aviation launched a Combi variant of the twin-engine turboprop Cessna SkyCourier.
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