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Hi Fly airline based in Lisbon, officially launched the first Airbus A380 converted to freighter, temporarily, of the world. Photos and video press Hi Fly.
Hi Fly has created and increased additional cargo capacity in its fleet by temporarily removing economy class seats from some of its aircraft, including the iconic Airbus A380 named “Save the Coral Reefs”, to meet the high demand for cargo during the global crisis due to the pandemic of COVID-19.
Hi Fly Airbus A380
Previously configured with 471 passenger seats divided into 12 first class seats, 60 in business and 399 in economic, now Hi Fly's Airbus A380-800 can offer more than 300 m3 volume capacity and close to 60 tons of cargo.
This temporary conversion, It will allow the airline to offer its cargo services worldwide quickly and directly given the cargo capacity and autonomy of this aircraft, highlighting that the aircraft maintains its passenger plane configuration, so its capacity is not fully exploited as it was as an exclusive or factory aircraft, load.
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A second chance for the Airbus A380?
Time will tell. While the airlines worldwide that operate it have announced their departure from the fleet, as is the case with Air France, others like Qantas they will park them for several years due to the drop in demand worldwide, converting them to freighters could be a second chance for this great plane.
With its large size and being able to transport more than 60 tons of cargo, without having a native configuration, could be an option, but the loading times and operating costs will determine its economic feasibility in the long term and restricted by space to the airports that it could operate.
Undoubtedly, actions such as HiFly will allow us to know the effectiveness of this aircraft as a freighter, but above all, its operating costs in search of a new opportunity for this aircraft.
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