Airlines ramp up cargo-only flying during peak

A number of carriers around the world are continuing to expand cargo-only operations with their passenger aircraft, injecting the market with more capacity as peak season sets in.

[caption id="attachment_93100" align="alignright" width="450"] Delta is using the bellies of its 767s and A330s for cargo-only flights. (Photo: Delta)[/caption]

Delta Air Lines has launched scheduled cargo-only trans-Atlantic flights to destinations in Europe and India to transport fashion goods, pharmaceuticals, vaccines, medical supplies and general cargo, consisting of: A daily 767-300ER between New York (JFK) and Madrid (MAD); A three-times-weekly A330-300 between JFK and Dublin; and A daily A330-300 originating in either Atlanta (ATL) or JFK that flies to and from Mumbai (BOM) via Frankfurt (FRA). Delta also continues to operate a daily cargo-only flight between Chicago (ORD) and FRA, now using an A330-200.

In September, Delta became the first airline in the U.S. to deploy a reconfigured passenger aircraft for cargo with a 777-200ER; that aircraft is no longer in service after Delta retired its 777 fleet at the end of October.

Delta confirmed to Air Cargo World that the flights above will only carry cargo in the belly, and that it has no plans to remove seats from any additional aircraft.

“Given the travel constraints within Europe, we are strategically adding cargo capacity in Spain, Ireland and Germany to support overall passenger and cargo growth,” said Shawn Cole, vice president of cargo at Delta. “There is high demand for pharmaceutical shipments from India because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and this cargo solution ensures we can keep vital supply chains moving to the United States.”

Delta began offering cargo-only charters in March and expanded these operations to scheduled services in April . The Atlanta-based airline’s cargo-only operations have so far been less extensive than those of American Airlines and United Airlines, which will operate eight and ten trans-Atlantic cargo-only routes for November, respectively. See also: 7 airlines with the most cargo-only flights

Meanwhile, other carriers with cargo-only operations are just beginning to fly aircraft modified to increase volume: Spain-based Iberia recently removed seats from an A330-300 and flew it from MAD to Los Angeles (LAX) Nov. 4; Singapore Airlines flew the first of two reconfigured 777-300ERs on a round trip between Singapore (SIN) and Tokyo (NRT) Nov. 5; Avianor, the Montreal-based company that removed seats from Air Canada’s A330s and 777s, recently told Air Cargo World it will soon reconfigure a 787 for an undisclosed airline. Two other noteworthy airlines for expanded passenger freighter operations are South Korea-based Jin Air, the low-cost-carrier affiliate of Korean Air, which flew its longest flight with a cargo-only 777-200ER from Seoul (ICN) to LAX on Oct. 31; and Qatar Airways, which from November began using for cargo four new 787-9s that had not been used in passenger service since being delivered in December 2019.

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