Cargo Facts Connect: Cargo’s role in recovering passenger operations [VIDEO]

This week, Cargo Facts responded to growing reader interest in cargo’s role amid the gradual recovery of the passenger aviation business. In the video below, Cargo Facts editors Charles Kauffman and Jeff Lee discuss whether temporary combi aircraft might fly, and look to some of the options available to carriers for maximizing cargo carriage on passenger aircraft—with or without passengers on board. In closing, the editors also offer a glimpse at what Cargo Facts will cover in the forthcoming week. The following transcript has been generated by software and is being presented as is. Some transcription errors may remain . Charles Kauffman 00:02 Hello everyone and welcome to this episode of Cargo Facts connect, the podcast and video series about all things freighters and conversions. I'm your host, Charles Kauffman, Senior Editor of cargo facts, and I'm joined today by Cargo Facts’ is Associate Editor Jeff Lee. In recent weeks, Cargo Facts has been tracking the fallout in scheduled passenger flights and the air cargo industry's response aimed at returning to the market lost capacity. This has mostly included increased freighter utilization and the use of passenger aircraft for cargo only missions. As passenger flight activity begins to pick up mainly in June, and looking ahead to the summer months, the industry is now starting to think about the role of cargo as passenger aviation recovers. So one question we've received from a couple of readers relates to the plausibility of temporary combis. Jeff, what Might a temporary combi look like? Jeff Lee 01:07 Well, first of all, you know, we've seen more than 130 passenger aircraft reconfigured. And so, as airlines resumed the operations mean, theoretically you could see them partially restoring the seats. So in other words, you know, putting back certain sections of seats into the cabin, but continuing to have maybe one section without seats and use that for cargo with barriers in full combi aircraft and you know, full freighters. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency says these are not needed for cabin cargo but they recently released an update to the day guidelines to make it clear that that doesn't apply to mixed configurations. So, you know, that might we might that might mean that barriers would be needed for these temporary reconfigured combi aircraft. Charles Kauffman 02:19 So really based on your reporting this week, it sounds like the ESA guidance would suggest that we're not going to see temporary combis taking to the skies in large numbers. Jeff Lee 02:32 I think that's right, because we've also been talking to several airlines and they've told us that they're not looking to operate these temporary combi configurations anyway, because of, you know, safety issues and difficulties with handling and with, you know, cabin crew. I mean, there were all sorts of challenges that they would have to face if they did that. But in any case, they would have to secure regulatory approval from EASA first, and EASA says that it doesn't support these Mixed configurations. So with that, you know, that door shut. One interesting question is, you know, is there a halfway kind of compromise? Charles Kauffman 03:19 Yeah, and of course, yes, EASA is just one regulator, but it would seem unlikely that FAA, the FAA or other regulators are going to step forward with such a solution if yes, is is not on board regarding a halfway compromise, you know, so obviously, the lower hold is always available and if there are fewer passengers on the main deck, fewer bags in the lower hold, payload capacity will automatically reflect passenger loads. I think we may also see some carriers utilize seat bags or containerized solutions. These seem much more likely to be cleared by, by regulators for use in conjunction with passengers. So Lithuania based Colibri Aero, I guess it was a joint venture with J&C Aero, they've developed cargo bags that attach to the seats of the Airbus family, their bodies. And in an update to their original STC that came out this week, it looks like these sea bags are cleared for use alongside passengers on the same flight. They're not the only provider of seat bags, it looks like Boeing, Boeing and other providers are developing this type of solution. And there are other companies developing containers that fit on see rails and whatnot. So those may be more likely to clear up to be cleared by regulators. Yes, it has been so far receptive. And again, we haven't seen the FAA provide much guidance. Jeff Lee 05:13 Yeah, it's also interesting that despite all that, we are still seeing more airlines joining the list, you know, by reconfiguring their passenger aircraft. So for example, EVA, in Taiwan and Emirates, it looks like they've both reconfigured 777-300ER aircraft. With a EVA I guess it's not hugely surprising, but it is surprising that they did it this late, you know, with a small freighter fleet of five 777Fs. With Emirates I think they haven't made it official yet but I saw something in their updated network map that shows what they call a mini freighter, and presumably that in a 777 that has seats removed. And these will be it looks like these will be operating too long way Nairobi, Amsterdam, Riyadh and Bangkok. Maybe a couple more. So you know with they are the largest operator of the 777-300ER and it's interesting to, you know, think about how many of these mini freighters they could have and also think about what kind of configuration they'll choose. With EVA, they chose to leave, you know certain rows intact and use those as kind of barriers between the boxes of medical supplies, so and so when you are looking to watch Next week. Charles Kauffman 07:02 So it's interesting that you, you pointed out this development with Emirates moving forward with these mini freighters. I, you know, obviously in the cargo effects passenger freighter database, we've been closely monitoring the use of passenger aircraft for these cargo only missions. We we've started to receive preliminary traffic data for the month of May and early reports for June and it looks like you know, as yield pressure is alleviated, you know, that perhaps the requirements for you know, large scale passenger freighter operations is starting to decline in favor of, you know, these types of aircraft that are mini-freighters or that have increased capabilities compared to others. Just a passenger aircraft with the lower holds so that's obviously one avenue. We'll continue to pursue. You know something else is quite exciting. It looks like the first a 321 the first freighter converted to a 321 is nearing redelivery. So we'll be following up on that and looking at the status of some of the other new narrow body freighter conversions. How about yourself? Jeff Lee 08:29 Yeah, I was actually also going to say that with Emirates, for example, the routes that these mini phrases will be operating to aren't necessarily the routes that they will be the passenger routes that they are restarting. So I mean, that's probably why we will continue to see reconfigured aircraft, you know, to operate with much lower passenger demand or you know, that haven't started being restarted yet. continue following that and more reconfigurations and also a couple of interesting transactions and movements involving both narrow body and wide body converted freighters. Charles Kauffman 09:16 All right, and that's all for now. Thank you for joining us today for the latest updates or to check out the passenger freighter database or the freighter aircraft transaction database, visit www.cargofacts.com

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