A staffer conducts cabin inspection in Qingdao, East China’s Shandong Province on March 5, 2021. Photo: VCG
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, major airlines around the world have adjusted their operating models on a large scale. In recent days, many airlines announced new arrangements for their large wide-body passenger aircraft.
China Southern Airlines, owner of five A380 superjumbos in China, said on Tuesday that it has used A380 passenger aircraft to carry cargos for the first time. The first of the “passenger-to-cargo” flights loaded with more than 20 tons of cargo arrived in Sydney, Australia from Guangzhou, South China’s Guangdong Province.
A picture shared by China Southern showed that the goods are laid at the aisle besides the seats in the plane.
Such arrangement comes as demand for cargo business has been rising, as cargo has outperformed the passenger business throughout the pandemic. However, the fate of the wide-body aircraft remains uncertain for the carriers going forward.
Commenting on the role of wide-body aircraft, Ma Xulun, chairman of China Southern said on April 22 that due to the impact of the epidemic, the demand on international routes has dropped significantly. Currently, the daily utilization rate of wide-body aircraft is low, and the A380 is also facing problems such as production suspension and high operating costs.
Ma said that China Southern will conduct research over the introduction and exit plan of wide-body aircraft based on market demand, utilize flying routes and steadily improve fleet effectiveness.
Additionally, Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG), Malaysia Airlines’ parent company, has indicated plans to retire its Airbus A380 fleet “in the coming months,” according to industry news outlet flightglobal.com on May 4.
“We’re currently exploring ways of disposing the aircraft. We’re cognizant of the challenges of how to sell the aircraft [which is one possibility] but we’re exploring ways,” MAG CEO Izham Ismail said…