Emirates SkyCargo is marking the first anniversary of loading urgently required PPE, related supplies and other vital cargo on the seats and inside the overhead bins of its Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft.
Responding to the pressing demand for transporting PPE during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in late April 2020, the freight division of Emirates adjusted its operating model to load select goods inside the aircraft cabin on passenger seats and in overhead bins to make additional room for urgent cargo on its flights.
Over the course of one year, the air cargo carrier has now operated more than 3,100 flights with cargo on seats and in the overhead bins transporting more than 11,000 tonnes of vital cargo, equivalent to cargo transported on 800,000 aircraft seats.
The procedures developed also specified the maximum weight and dimensions of individual packages as well as the types of cargo that could be permitted inside the cabin and additional safety instructions. For example, all perishable cargo packaging for loading on seats and in bins have to include an adequate internal absorbent layer.
PPE and other medical supplies tend to be the most common cargo transported on aircraft seats and inside the bins.
Other general cargo including garments and clothing, dry food, dental supplies and sporting goods have also been transported on seats.
Emirates SkyCargo has continued to serve as an important global connector of urgently required goods and supplies during the Covid-19 pandemic through its rapid and flexible approach and by working closely with its customers
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