Emirates SkyCargo is marking the first anniversary of loading 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.

Emirates SkyCargo also introduced a special covering for the passenger seats in its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft in order to prevent any accidental damage to the interiors of the aircraft, such as personal entertainment screens.