Lufthansa Technik nabs customer for A380 freighter-lite

[caption id="attachment_413818" align="alignright" width="460"] We will soon see an A380 with at least some of its seats removed to make way for cargo. (Photo: Airbus)[/caption] Lufthansa Technik has secured a contract to reconfigure an A380 as an “auxiliary freighter” capable of transporting cargo on its passenger decks. The experiment, prompted by the ongoing capacity crunch induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, will yield an aircraft that is the closest to an A380F the world has ever seen. While Lufthansa Technik has yet to disclose the identity of the customer that plans to reconfigure the A380, we have our suspicions. We also invite readers to share their opinion in our Twitter poll: https://twitter.com/CargoFacts/status/1257817053886509056 As of the end of March, the global fleet of A380s consisted of 240 aircraft split across fifteen operators: Air France ; ANA ; Asiana ; British Airways ; China Southern ; Emirates ; Etihad ; Hi Fly; Korean Air ; Lufthansa ; Malaysia Airlines ; Qantas ; Qatar Airways ; Singapore Airlines ; and Thai Airways . Among the more likely possibilities, two rise to the surface: Malaysia Airlines was the first carrier known to have operated an A380 in cargo-only service, with unit 114 flying between its Kuala Lumpur (KUL) hub and London Heathrow (LHR) on April 29. Seat removal could increase the feasibility of such flights. Hi Fly is a Portugal-based charter operator with just a single A380 (6, ex-Singapore Airlines) in its fleet. The airframe just exited maintenance last week after sitting idle since February. With little visible demand for A380 passenger charters, the carrier may be looking to the cargo market for opportunities. https://twitter.com/TarmacAerosave/status/1257666788369862657 Turning now to the least likely among A380 operators, Cargo Facts would be quite surprised if the customer turned out to be ANA, Singapore Airlines or Qatar Airways. Without reinforced floor beams — like those found on the full-freighter and freighter-converted variants — the structural payload of the passenger deck remains limited for the cargo conversion, and the modified aircraft is a long shot from a full freighter A380. While not appropriate for heavy pallets, passenger decks without seats are suitable for carrying lightweight and bulky items, such as personal protective equipment. While Cargo Facts wouldn’t expect to see A380s reconfigured in large numbers, modifications remain a popular option for many airframe types. Lufthansa Technik says it has already received inquiries from more than forty airlines, and said more than fifteen projects for various aircraft types are in the implementation phase. The MRO specialist has already converted four A330-300s for its carrier affiliate Lufthansa , and the modification was subsequently approved by EASA. While the first four aircraft will be permitted to fly under a temporary exemption, an STC is expected shortly for the A330-300 and other common aircraft types. Unlike full-fledged freighter-conversion programs, which are permanent and structurally invasive, these new light “conversions” can be completed in a matter of days rather than months, involving the removal of seats and the installation of fire extinguishers to be compliant with regulations. Dozens of carriers are now utilizing passenger aircraft for cargo-only missions, and a few have already removed seats on their own, including Air Canada , Austrian Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, Condor , El Al, LATAM and others. The regulatory process for transporting cargo on passenger decks ultimately falls to individual aviation authorities. Airbus recently announced it will be offering its own reconfiguration package for A330s and A350s , with seats removed and pallets secured to the seat rails instead. The freighter variant of the A380-800, which never came to be because of Airbus’ efforts to overcome production delays with the passenger version, had secured orders from carriers including FedEx and UPS.

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