EASA CERTIFIES CARGO SEAT BAGS

Parts supplier Colibri Aero and design firm J&C Aero have developed a new way to transport cargo on narrowbody passenger planes. The cargo seat bag is designed to maximize available cargo space on passenger configured A320 family aircraft, while also keeping the goods safe and secure.

The coronavirus has accelerated the development of various advancements to help aviation better cope with the crisis and maintain vitally important supply lines worldwide. Thanks to rapid certification by EASA, airlines will start making use of the kit immediately.

Both companies, headquartered in Lithuania, began their work on this cabin modification last year. However, after the first signs of the emerging health crisis, already in January 2020, developers’ team increased their resources to come up with the solution sooner.

The outbreak of coronavirus worldwide has led to airlines slashing flight schedules and grounding thousands of aircraft, as travel demand bottoms out and nations close borders in an attempt to control the pandemic. With no other way to earn revenue, airlines are increasingly turning to operate cargo-only flights as a means to generate a little income. While passenger planes often carry a portion of cargo in the belly, merely filling the hold with load would not be enough to make these flights possible. As such, we’ve seen many airlines utilising the passenger cabin to maximise cargo capacity.