Pax freighters: There go the seats

[caption id="attachment_413882" align="alignright" width="493"] A Cathay Pacific 777-300ER with cargo in the passenger cabin. Photo/Cathay[/caption] Air cargo capacity was first to go, and seats are now following. At least twenty-two carriers have now removed seats on at least sixty-six passenger aircraft in order to create additional space for cargo carriage. As of May 14, Cargo Facts has recorded more than 1,300 passenger aircraft that have been operated in cargo-only service, regardless of frequency. To date, the most popular aircraft for seat removal appear to be the 737-800, A330-300, 767-300 and 777-300. Carriers worthy of particular mention are Lufthansa, which modified four A330s last month, and told Cargo Facts it has continued to replace seats with cargo, having also removed seats from six more A330-300s; Condor, which plans to convert fourteen of its sixteen 767-300ERs and has already reconfigured eight; Ethiopian Airlines, which has removed seats from all four of its 777-300ERs; Icelandair, which confirmed to Cargo Facts it has modified both its 757-300s in addition to its three 767-300ERs; and TAP Air Portugal, the first to convert an A330-900 into a temporary freighter, and told Cargo Facts it plans to do the same to at least one more frame. In the coming weeks, we may also see the first A380 reconfigured to carry cargo. Lufthansa Technik secured a contract to modify an A380 as an “auxiliary freighter” capable of transporting cargo on its passenger decks. To take into account these increasingly common changes, the Cargo Facts Passenger-Freighter Database has been updated so users can distinguish between passenger aircraft that have had some or all of their seats removed to create more space for cargo, and those that have not. U.S.-based carriers American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have been operating cargo charters with their widebody passenger aircraft, but so far without extensive cabin modifications. Increasingly, however, cargo is being moved inside the passenger cabin. Delta, which launched cargo-only service in early April, received FAA approval April 23 to transport cargo inside the existing storage areas of passenger cabins. Other carriers have since received similar approval to utilize closets, under-seat capacity and overhead bins. United today announced that following FAA approval, it operated its first trans-Atlantic cargo-only flight with mail inside the passenger cabin utilizing a 777-300ER. The carrier plans to carry cargo and mail on the passenger decks of its 777 and 787 aircraft. For now, much of the cargo moving on passenger freighters is directly linked to the pandemic response. "By loading existing cabin storage areas with cargo and mail, we can move even more critical medical equipment, PPE and other vital shipments the world needs to manage through the pandemic," said Jan Krems, president of United Cargo. While most American passenger-focused carriers have utilized widebody aircraft for cargo operations, Alaska Airlines is looking to carry freight inside the passenger cabins of six 737-900s. Alaska tested the concept in late April and, as of May 14, had not yet received FAA approval. In the meantime, Alaska says it has been in touch with forwarders, logistics providers and perishables shippers to utilize the space. For now, it continues to operate cargo-only passenger flights on an ad-hoc basis. On May 15, the carrier will operate two cargo flights to Cordova, Alaska, utilizing bellyhold capacity to haul 18,000 pounds (8 tonnes). No U.S.-based carriers have disclosed concrete plans to remove seats, but the option has not been ruled out. United said it continues to explore other options to boost capacity, and Delta in April said it continues to evaluate options to increase capacity inside the passenger cabin for its cargo-only flights, including via seat removal. In a statement to Cargo Facts , Delta confirmed, “The airline is also working together with Airlines for America obtain approvals in order to place shipments in seats and remove seats on aircraft to facilitate the transportation of cargo in the passenger cabin.”

Pax freighters: There go the seats

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