3 trends in July passenger-freighter operations

[caption id="attachment_414280" align="alignright" width="460"] Hi Fly, which recently removed most seats from its A380, has now reconfigured five aircraft. (Photo: Hi Fly)[/caption] Some regions continue to see an expansion of cargo-only operations utilizing passenger aircraft, despite falling demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) to combat COVID-19 and the resumption of some international passenger flights. As the capacity and commodity mix evolves, here are three trends Cargo Facts has gleaned from analysis of passenger freighter flights in July: Niche operators are exiting the space. While high rates for lightweight, bulky PPE shipments initially made cargo-only flights widely accessible, as demand for PPE and rates have declined, this is no longer the case. Although at least 195 airlines enlisted some 2,427 aircraft passenger aircraft for use in cargo-only configuration since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, and many operators without heavy pre-crisis cargo operations have gradually exited the space. Leisure operator Condor utilized sixteen 767-300ERs for cargo-only flights during the crisis , and had seats removed on ten of the aircraft, according to the Cargo Facts Passenger Freighter Database . As of today, just three remain in cargo configuration and will only be operated for a few more weeks, the airline told Cargo Facts . This trend holds true for many similar operators. There are a few exceptions, however. U.K.-based European Aviation Group, which has so far reconfigured three A340-600s, is reportedly considering building a fleet of up to ten A340-600s in “freighter” configuration. Malta-based Hi Fly , which in May had already reconfigured an A340-300, recently modified its only A380 by removing most of the seats. The aircraft previously operated several cargo-only flights with the seats intact. Hi Fly has now reconfigured five aircraft. Italian carrier Alitalia began flying one of its 777-200ERs without seats earlier in July. Many cargo-focused combination carriers continue to operate large numbers of cargo-only flights, and not just for PPE shipments. Interestingly, many of the top-ranked combination carriers, most of which operate significant freighter fleets alongside passenger flights, did not initially modify their passenger aircraft. A few have only recently started reconfigurations. The route structure and modifications suggest that non-PPE commodities are justifying many of these flights. Emirates , which recently reconfigured ten 777-300ERs , has steadily been building up its cargo-only network and now has 108 destinations served by a combination of 777Fs, reconfigured 777-300ERs and regular 777-300ERs. Cathay Pacific , which has twenty 747 freighters, began operating its first reconfigured 777-300ER in early July, and told Cargo Facts it is planning two more, saying it believes air cargo capacity will remain in short supply “for the foreseeable future.” Meanwhile, Korean Air is reportedly planning to modify several of its 777-300ERs. The carrier has twenty-three freighters in its fleet. We note that Qatar Airways , which has the largest freighter fleet of any combination carrier, has not removed seats from any of its A350s, 777s, or 787s, but still deploys large numbers of them on cargo-only flights. United Airlines , which updates its cargo-only flight schedule on a weekly basis, plans to operate a total of 106 cargo-only flights for the week of July 20-26, utilizing 777-300ERs and 787s. An exception is Lufthansa , which reconfigured ten A330-300s but returned them to their passenger configuration at the end of May. The group has taken a more aggressive approach to resuming passenger flights across its carrier networks than most and therefore needed the aircraft to run its schedule. Routes and networks are diversifying, reducing connections to China and Hong Kong. Analysis of passenger freighter activity from China to Europe and to North America (see Figures 1 and 2) from Cargo Facts Consulting shows flight frequencies out of Hong Kong and China peaked in mid- to late May. However, operators continue to add flights to alleviate capacity constraints elsewhere. Air Canada noted in a release that, even as it continues its resumption of scheduled widebody passenger flights, “we continue to optimize cargo-only flights to meet capacity demands” with reconfigured passenger aircraft. In July, the carrier commenced a variety of scheduled cargo-only flights, including from Toronto (YYZ) to Sao Paulo (GRU) and to Quito (UIO) via Atlanta (ATL), from Montreal (YUL) to Havana (HAV), and from YYZ and YUL to Istanbul (IST). The flights use reconfigured 777-300ERs and A330-300s.

3 trends in July passenger-freighter operations

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