Originally Posted by
Una Due Tfc
Didn’t KLM have a pair of 747-400 Combis operating until a couple of months ago, one of which had it’s retirement delayed and is flying pure freight right now?
The current situation especially with PPE being shipped means the aircraft max out on volume rather than weight. I know Aer Lingus are filling the holds and cabins of their 230T and 242T A333s with between 15T and 18T of PPE on PEK-DUB flights, the extra 12T of lift doesn’t make the cabin or hold any bigger! As such the A380 might actually be very useful for that role. Mriya can haul 250T internally or 200T on the roof, I wonder what she is actually hauling when full of PPE.
One cannot designate a freighter aircraft for an occasional situation whereas just once in a while it can justify it's existence, the air cargo industry can be a dog-eat-dog business, i.e. the minimum price per ton or per cubic metre or whatever gets the job.
I've seen some maximum weights quoted here but not sure if they take in to account that once a pax aircraft is cannibalised in to a freighter all the uneccessary weights are stripped out of it allowing for increased payloads to be carried.
But I simply cannot imagine the A380 cutting it as an all-round freighter, perhaps better utilised parked-up outside a hotel or similar!
