Pandemic legacy: Israeli company transforms jets for cargo

By LAURIE KELLMAN
Associated Press

LOD, Israel (AP) — As the airline industry struggles, Israel’s state-owned aerospace company is flying high. Israel Aerospace Industries is cashing in on the growth of e-commerce by converting grounded passenger planes into cargo jets for global giants like Amazon and DHL. Analysts say the work lines up with pandemic-driven trends that have caused consumer spending to skyrocket in the face of rising inflation. Tangles in the supply line and soaring shipping prices make converting a passenger plane to a cargo plane as much as five times cheaper than buying a new jet. IAI and analysts say the demand for cargo conversions is up and is expected to stay that way for years.