First Airbus solution for freight in A350 cabin
South Korea’s Asiana Airlines has become the world’s first airline to embody the Airbus solution to convert an A350 passenger cabin to carry freight. This solution was developed in cooperation between Airbus, European Union Aviation Safety Agency and Asiana.
The project required the replacement of 283 economy seats with cargo pallets on the cabin floor to firmly secure cargo loads. The two-week modification increases the aircraft’s cargo capacity from 18 t to 23 t.
The modified A350 was put into service in the last week of September flying the Seoul-Los Angeles route, transporting IT and electronic equipment, as well as e-commerce exports such as clothing. From October, the aircraft will service additional high-demand routes including Seoul-Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam). (ah)