Emirates to modify 10 passenger aircraft to expand cargo capacity

The removal of seats on 10 Emirates aircraft will allow each of them to transport an additional 17 tonnes of cargo

Emirates said that Emirates SkyCargo will be operating 10 modified Boeing 777-300ER aircraft.

In response to strong demand for cargo, Dubai’s Emirates has removed economy seats on some Boing 777-300ER to boost capacity, the airline said on Thursday.

In a statement, Emirates said that Emirates SkyCargo will be operating 10 modified Boeing 777-300ER aircraft that are capable of transporting 132 cubic metres – or 17 tonnes – of cargo, in addition to the 40 to 50 tonnes that can be held in the aircraft’s belly hold.

The modified aircraft are being deployed on routes to “key” production and consumer markets, the airline said.

“Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Emirates SkyCargo has taken very seriously its responsibility of connecting people and businesses across the world with the commodities that they urgently require,” said Nabil Sultan, Emirates divisional senior vice president, cargo.

“To this end, we have been working flat out, first to re-connect a global network of more than 85 destinations and then to introduce capacity options that fit what our customers demand from us including passenger aircraft flying only with belly hold cargo and loading cargo in the overhead bins and on passenger seats,” he added.

Modifying aircraft, Sultan added, will allow Emirates “to transport even more cargo per flight, allowing for more cargo to reach their destination faster and for more efficient cargo operations.”

Seven of the aircraft have already been modified at Emirates’ engineering facilities in Dubai, with the other three due to be ready by mid-July. More than 3,000 seats have been removed.

https://www.arabianbusiness.com/transport/448732-emirates-to-modify-10-passenger-aircraft-to-expand-cargo-capacity