Passenger aircraft against supply bottlenecks
Asian airlines are planning more passenger-freight flights (so-called “preighter flights”). In this way, they want to cope with the demand in the high season, for example for the transport of goods from China to the EU.
Korean Air announced that it has operated 10,000 cargo-only passenger flights since last March and still flies 800 “preighters” each month. Preighter flights use passenger aircraft to transport cargo.
Airlines increase cargo capacity by using space above overhead bins or placing cargo bags on passenger seats. In many passenger planes, the seats are even removed completely.
“Preighter flights” play an important role for the second half of the year
The cargo flights with passenger aircraft have so far mainly carried pandemic relief supplies such as rapid covid tests, protective clothing and masks.
However, the flights also help solve the logistical challenges of companies facing shipping supply shortages. Korean Air expects passenger aircraft loaded with cargo to play an important role in the second half of 2021. As a rule, the volume of export cargo from China and other Asian countries then increases. In the face of ongoing travel restrictions due to Covid, repurposing passport machines into cargo machines is an important contribution to maintaining supply chains.
Urs Draeger, C2G Production, urs.draeger@c2g-production.de, 0176 641 271 88.