Page 58 - World Airnews Magazine October Edition 2020

NEWS DIGITAL

EASA MAY LIMIT USE OF

PREIGHTERS OVER FIRE RISK

WORRIES

By Jake Hardiman

regulations such as fireproofing.

The European Union Aviation
Safety Agency (EASA) intends to INCREASED FIRE RISK ON
impose a limit of 2,000 flight hours CONVERTED AIRCRAFT
on passenger airliners converted Unlike KLM’s 747 Combi, however,
to carry cargo. The agency has newly-converted preighters were
designed the measure to mitigate not designed with such use in mind.
the potentially higher fire risk on As such, EASA has perceived this
such aircraft. operational flexibility as something
that could place carriers at a higher
risk of severe fire. Specifically, it is
PREIGHTERS – BORN OUT OF said that the typical assumptions of
fire criticality in a cabin designed to
THE PANDEMIC carry passengers would no longer
KLM is one of many airlines to have The European Union Aviation Safety be applicable should such a cabin be
Agency (EASA) has revealed its
recently converted passenger aircraft to intentions to limit preighters to converted to carry freight.
transport freight. Photo: Getty Images 2,000 flight hours up to December The EASA initially proposed a
31st, 2021. special condition to ensure that
safety levels in converted cabins
The move was highlighted as part matched those of conventional cargo
of a review into passenger to cargo holds. However, following a lengthy
conversions, published recently. consultation that saw almost 170
This regulation should mitigate the comments reviewed, the agency
higher risk of catastrophic fire that concluded that applicants could
would otherwise be present aboard “underestimate the hazard” of
such aircraft. cargo fires, due to the complexity of
The term ‘preighter’ was first undertaking a fire risk assessment.
coined by Lufthansa in May, and Furthermore, it added that “the
refers to passenger aircraft that initially proposed certification
airlines have converted to carry approach could have been successful
freight. only through the introduction of
Such airliners have become an very severe limitations to the type of
increasingly common phenomenon cargo allowed in the cabin.”
since the corona virus pandemic As such, EASA elected instead to
Lufthansa was the first airline to coin the halted the majority of passenger air limit such aircraft to 2,000 flight
term ‘preighter’. Photo: Getty Images travel. It has allowed airlines to make hours up to December 31st, 2021.
use of aircraft that would otherwise This mitigation strategy assumes
remain unused, to instead provide that no more than 2,500 aircraft
increased cargo capacity across their will be converted, with the agency
networks. seeing the limits as “sufficiently
Airlines can then carry freight conservative” based on statistical
aboard such aircraft by strapping it evidence concerning the likelihood of
down to its seats, as Cathay Pacific cargo fire.
has done. However, some carriers, The EASA also intends to set out
such as Hi Fly, have removed some a framework for fire protection and
or all of an aircraft’s seats in order to loading restrictions aboard preight-
further increase its cargo capacity. ers, as well as prohibited cargo that
Meanwhile, in April, KLM brought could become projectiles. Going
two of its retired Boeing 747 ‘Combi’ forward, the agency plans to monitor
aircraft back into service. Designated the implementation of cabin design
Cathay Pacific has converted some of as the Boeing 747-400M, these changes based on its framework,
with the aim of confirming the
aircraft already had a designated
its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft to carry additional area for cargo storage at validity of its risk-mitigation strategy.
cargo. Photo: Cathay Pacific the rear of the lower deck, which Q
was fully compliant with safety Also read page 5

World Airnews | October Extra 2020
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