155 PAX aircraft temporarily converted in 2020
Further to British aviation analyst Cirium, 155 aircraft had most if not all of their passenger seats removed last year in order to transport cargo in the cabin.
Increased demand for PPE manufactured in Asia required fast distribution across the world. This coincided with the sudden reduction in passenger flights, which sharply cut the amount of cargo capacity available. 80% of the aircraft are Airbus and Boeing twin-aisle jets. In addition to forty-nine A330, forty-five B777 have been employed by sixteen different carriers.
Chris Seymour, head of market analysis at Ascend by Cirium: "Now that things have settled down, airlines are looking at how to move cargo cost-effectively. Loading cargo into cabins requires a lot of manpower, compared with loading it into aircraft bellies in containers and on pallets." (ah)