Colibri Aero, an international supplier of aircraft parts and interior solutions, together with J&C Aero, an international aircraft design and production organization, has announced the development of cargo containers for widebody passenger cabins thus allowing cabin conversion between passenger and cargo operations within just 24 hours.
The Cargo Containers come in five different sizes and are designed for widebody passenger cabins of Airbus A330, A340 and Boeing 767, 777. Each equipped with its own smoke detector, the Cargo Containers are intended for temporal replacement of passenger seats while converting the aircraft’s cabin for transportation of cargo of any type.
The initial modification will be intended for use in cabins with the supervising cabin crew members. After certifying Cargo Container under EASA STC requirements, J&C Aero and Colibri Aero plan to upgrade the modification for other aircraft types and size variations.
“We are very pleased to see our airline customers around the world regaining access to scheduled flights. However, we understand many of them will face challenges related to seat occupancy, particularly in the widebody segment,” shares Andrius Norkevičius, the CEO of Colibri Aero. “Earlier this year, we have already launched the production of Cargo Seat Bags which hold their own EASA STC and are already used by airlines in Europe and Asia. But they are more suited for narrowbody passenger cabins, being able to transport up to 252 kg (555 lb) per a triple seat block. And for a widebody aircraft to generate profit, airlines need a solution that can transport much more cargo in the passenger cabin. And that’s precisely what the Cargo Containers will offer.”
“While developing Cargo Containers, our main focus was safety, the volume of cargo, and the time required to change the seats with containers and vice versa. With one container being able to transport up to 850 kg (1870 lb) of commercial cargo, a typical Airbus A330 cabin can be converted in just 24 hours fitting 36 containers. This means that almost 27 tons (58,640 lb) of cargo per single flight can be transported inside the passenger cabin. We see stable demand for this product not only in the nearest future but also in a longer perspective as the aviation industry adapts to the new, post-COVID-19 world,” says Laurynas Skukauskas, the Chief Commercial Officer at J&C Aero.
Colibri Aero, an international supplier of aircraft parts and interior solutions, together with J&C Aero, an international aircraft design and production organization, have developed universal Cargo Seat Bags for commercial and humanitarian cargo transportation inside Airbus A319/A320/A321 passenger cabins. The newly developed interior modification kit has already been approved by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and has received its Supplemental Type Certificate (STC).
The Cargo Seat Bag comes as a spacious 76x76x147 cm (30x30x58 inches) kit for a triple seat, with up to 75 kg (165 lb) of cargo to be stored on the seat and additional 9 kg – under the seat, totaling 252 kg (555 lb) per a triple seat block.
The kit can be easily installed within just several minutes and can include a wide range of cargo types: from postal correspondence, household goods, electronics and other commercial cargo to medical equipment and other kinds of humanitarian supplies.
“We started the development of the modification back in 2019, with numerous testing and continuous consultations with both aviation authorities and airlines along the way. In February 2020, amidst the growing concerns over what now is known as the COVID-19 pandemic, we decided to put additional resources to the project in order to have a certified modification as soon as possible. We are thankful to our team and European aviation authorities whose close cooperation will allow us to deliver the modification to the market at a time of need,” shared Laurynas Skukauskas, the Chief Commercial Officer at J&C Aero.
The kits are developed in compliance with Structural Integrity, Fire Protection, and Emergency Evacuation requirements. All aircraft operators will be supplied with a cargo bag special condition compliance justification matrix, a loading manual and additional documentation required by their national aviation authorities (CAA). The MOD kit documentation may also be supplemented with an EASA Form 1.
“We are all in this together and we have to help airlines to adapt during these challenging times. While the passenger traffic has drastically fallen, many airlines keep operating their passenger aircraft for cargo deliveries – both ordinary goods and medical equipment like masks, respirators, and other items. Being able to promptly apply temporary modifications for passenger cabins for cargo purposes may allow aircraft operators to increase cargo capacities thus adapting operations to the growing demand for cargo air deliveries between countries and regions,” said Andrius Norkevičius, the CEO of Colibri Aero.
