# Preighter

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{{Short description|Passenger aircraft temporarily used for cargo}}
A '''preighter''', also known as '''cargo in cabin''', is an aircraft originally intended to carry passengers but which is operated temporarily as a [cargo aircraft](/source/cargo_aircraft) by loading freight in the [passenger cabin](/source/Aircraft_cabin). The term is a [portmanteau](/source/portmanteau) of "passenger" and "freighter" and is attributed to [Lufthansa](/source/Lufthansa) chief executive [Carsten Spohr](/source/Carsten_Spohr); it came to use as commercial airlines responded to the [2020 COVID-19 pandemic](/source/COVID-19_pandemic).{{r|NewName2020}} 

A preighter is distinct from a [combi aircraft](/source/combi_aircraft), which has cargo aircraft features such as large outward-opening doors and a reinforced floor to accommodate oversize or heavy items, but has removable seats or is partitioned into passenger and freight areas. 

== History ==
Prior to the [precipitous drop in air travel](/source/Impact_of_the_COVID-19_pandemic_on_aviation) caused by the outbreak of [COVID-19](/source/COVID-19), cargo capacity in the [belly hold](/source/Hold_(compartment)) of passenger aircraft accounted for half of global [air freight](/source/air_freight), rising as high as 80% on transatlantic routes.{{r|NewName2020}} With the cancellation of many passenger flights and the corresponding loss of capacity in holds, existing dedicated [freighter aircraft](/source/cargo_aircraft) were insufficient to meet demand, and the price for air cargo increased.{{r|YearOfPreighters}}{{r|RiseOfPreighters}}

Although passenger aircraft can be converted into dedicated cargo aircraft, this process may take years, whereas jets carrying cargo in the passenger cabin can be deployed much faster.{{r|FGDemand}} With a loss of freight capacity and the urgent need to distribute massive amounts of [personal protective equipment](/source/personal_protective_equipment) around the world in the fight against COVID-19, hundreds of unused passenger aircraft were temporarily employed in a freighter role.{{r|YearOfPreighters}} Such aircraft have also helped deliver mail, medical supplies, tools and other cargo.{{r|RiseOfPreighters}}{{r|DarkSide}}

In 2022, a temporary [European Union Aviation Safety Agency](/source/European_Union_Aviation_Safety_Agency) rule facilitating the loading of cargo on passenger decks was allowed to expire, and declining air cargo rates rendered preighter operations increasingly uneconomical due to their inherent loading difficulties.<ref name=freightwaves_alis>{{cite web |last=Kulisch |first=Eric |date=4 August 2023 |access-date=10 November 2023 |title=Ocean carrier MSC strikes deal for Italian cargo airline |url=https://www.freightwaves.com/news/ocean-carrier-msc-strikes-deal-for-italian-cargo-airline |website=FreightWaves.com }}</ref> On the same year, coinciding with the lifting of the travel restrictions and the COVID-19 pandemic coming to an end, many preighters are getting reverted back to passenger use.

== Operations ==
Preighters can be operated either by temporarily removing seats or, in some cases, packing cargo onto existing seats.{{r|YearOfPreighters}}{{r|NewName2020}} During the disruption of COVID-19, at least 200 passenger aircraft around the world were modified to serve as preighters by removing most or all of the cabin seating.{{r|CiriumMay2021}} Cargo can also be stored securely between seats, in [luggage bins](/source/overhead_bin) or strapped down if seats are partially or completely removed. Limitations on where and how cargo may be safely transported in a passenger cabin may vary by the type of cargo.{{r|RiseOfPreighters}} 

Carrying cargo by methods not originally designed, especially when it involves reconfiguring an aircraft, requires approval of the appropriate regulatory bodies for the regions where the aircraft operates. The [International Air Transport Association](/source/International_Air_Transport_Association) further advises that a comprehensive safety assessment be completed in all cases.{{r|IATAGuidance}} In 2021, European regulators set a limit on total flight hours for preighters out of concern that carriers might underestimate possible increased fire risks.{{cn|date=June 2024}}

Loading and unloading a preighter aircraft often requires more time and work by airline staff than would a dedicated freighter aircraft.{{r|RiseOfPreighters}}{{r|CathayDebut}} The narrow doors and unreinforced floors in most passenger cabins cannot accommodate [palletized cargo](/source/pallet) and large containers that can be rapidly loaded on freighters with large cargo doors and reinforced floors.<ref name=freightwaves_alis/> As there is no dedicated system for loading a preighter, most of the process must be completed manually by airline or airport staff, increasing costs and placing preighters at an economic disadvantage to freighters, particularly when cargo rates are low.<ref name=freightwaves_alis/> In some cases, the loading difficulties can take a significant physical toll on [ground handling agent](/source/Aircraft_ground_handling)s.{{r|DarkSide}}

== Airlines ==
thumb|An Iberia A330 was repurposed to fly as a "preighter" in late 2020
Numerous major airlines have operated passenger aircraft as preighters since the beginning of the 2020 pandemic.{{r|NewName2020}} Notable examples include the following:

* In February 2021, [British Airways](/source/British_Airways) used a [Boeing 777](/source/Boeing_777) aircraft to deliver 1.7 million masks to Germany.{{cn|date=June 2024}}
* As an early pioneer of preighter flights, [Ethiopian](/source/Ethiopian_Airlines) has operated over 5,600 flights carrying cargo in passenger cabins.{{r|YearOnEthiopian}}{{r|AirbusEthiopian}}{{r|AirCargoEye}} The airline's use of preighters helped keep Ethiopian's entire fleet of 16 [A350-900](/source/A350-900) jets flying throughout the pandemic.{{r|AirbusEthiopian}}
* [Saudia](/source/Saudia)'s first-ever commercial flight to Denmark was operated as a preighter service.{{r|Saudia}}
* [A380](/source/Airbus_A380) aircraft—the world's largest commercial passenger jets—have been used for temporary cargo operations by both [Hi-Fly](/source/Hi_Fly_Malta){{cn|date=June 2024}} and [Emirates](/source/Emirates_(airline)).{{r|EmiratesMinifreight}}
* [Korean Air](/source/Korean_Air) flew the longest nonstop flight in the company's history as a preighter service in June 2021 operating for over 14 hours between Seoul and Miami.{{r|AirMagKorean}} The Boeing 777 was carrying 15 tons of COVID-19 diagnostic supplies headed for the Dominican Republic and made use of both the cargo and passenger areas onboard.{{cn|date=June 2024}}
* An Iberia A330, to be operated by IAG Cargo, was repurposed as a "preighter" in late 2020.{{r|"ROGISTICS 2020"}}

Additional carriers that have flown a preighter in some form include [Lufthansa](/source/Lufthansa), [Alitalia](/source/Alitalia), [KLM](/source/KLM), [SWISS](/source/SWISS), [Qantas](/source/Qantas), [Air Canada](/source/Air_Canada), [Austrian Airlines](/source/Austrian_Airlines), [Vietnam Airlines](/source/Vietnam_Airlines), [Cathay Pacific](/source/Cathay_Pacific), [Cebu Pacific](/source/Cebu_Pacific), [Delta Air Lines](/source/Delta_Air_Lines),[Garuda Indonesia](/source/Garuda_Indonesia) and [United Airlines](/source/United_Airlines). Some carriers may even operate preighters after 2021 such as cargo airline [MSC Air Cargo](/source/MSC_Air_Cargo).

== See also ==
{{Portal|Aviation}}
* [Cargo airline](/source/Cargo_airline)
* [Passenger-to-cargo aircraft conversion](/source/Cargo_aircraft)
* [Combi aircraft](/source/Combi_aircraft)

== References ==
<references>
<ref name=NewName2020>{{cite web |url=https://worldofaviation.com/2020/05/preighters-is-the-new-name-for-2020s-aviation-phenomenon/ |title='Preighters' is the New Name for 2020's Aviation Phenomenon |access-date=2021-05-28 |first=Adam |last=Thorn |date=2020-05-08 |work=World of Aviation}}</ref>
<ref name=RiseOfPreighters>{{cite web |title=The Rise of the 'Preighter' |url=https://www.aviationpros.com/gse/baggage-cargo/cargo-handling-equipment-accessories/article/21150152/the-rise-of-the-preighter |first=Josh |last=Smith |date=2020-09-17 |work=Aviation Pros |access-date=2021-05-28}}</ref>
<ref name=DarkSide>{{cite web |title=The dark side of preighters |url=https://www.cargoforwarder.eu/2020/11/01/the-dark-side-of-preighters/ |work=Cargo Forwarder Global |first=Heiner |last=Siegmund |date=2020-11-01 |access-date=2021-05-28}}</ref>

<ref name=YearOnEthiopian>{{cite web |title=One Year Of Preighter Operations On Passenger Aircraft-Ethiopian |url=https://www.busiweek.com/one-year-of-preighter-operations-on-passenger-aircraft-ethiopian/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210326152217/https://www.busiweek.com/one-year-of-preighter-operations-on-passenger-aircraft-ethiopian/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=March 26, 2021 |first=Godfrey |last=Ivudria |publisher=East African Business Week News |date=2021-03-26 |access-date=2021-05-28}}</ref>
<ref name=YearOfPreighters>{{cite web |url=https://www.aircargonews.net/freighters-world/2020-in-numbers-the-year-of-freighters-and-preighters/ |title=2020 in numbers: The year of freighters and preighters |date=2020-09-16 |first=Chris |last=Seymour |work=Air Cargo News |access-date=2021-05-28 }}</ref>
<ref name=IATAGuidance>{{cite web |url=https://www.iata.org/contentassets/094560b4bd9844fda520e9058a0fbe2e/guidance-safe-transportation-cargo-passenger-cabin.pdf |title=Guidance for the transport of cargo and mail on aircraft configured for the carriage of passengers |edition=3 |date=2020-05-04  |access-date=2021-05-28}}</ref>
<ref name=FGDemand>{{cite web |url=https://www.flightglobal.com/strategy/demand-stays-strong-for-preighter-passenger-freighter-operations/139575.article |title=Demand stays strong for 'preighter' passenger-freighter operations |date=2020-07-31 |first=Max |last=Kingsley-Jones |access-date=2020-05-28}}</ref>
<ref name=CathayDebut>{{cite web |author=<!--Not stated--> |title=Cathay Pacific's Passenger 'Preighter' Makes Its Debut |url=http://cargoclan.cathaypacificcargo.com/cathay-pacifics-passenger-preighter-makes-its-debut/ |publisher=Cathay Pacific Cargo |work=Cargo Clan |date=2020-07-30 |access-date=2021-05-28}}</ref>
<ref name=Saudia>{{cite news |url=https://www.stattimes.com/news/saudia-cargo-launches-twice-a-week-preighter-service-to-copenhagen-air-cargo/ |title=Saudia Cargo launches twice a week preighter service to Copenhagen |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=2021-05-26 |publisher=STAT Times |access-date=2021-05-28}}</ref>
<ref name=EmiratesMinifreight>{{cite news |title=Emirates using A380 aircraft as "mini freighters" |url=https://www.businesstraveller.com/business-travel/2020/11/14/emirates-using-a380-aircraft-as-mini-freighters/ |date=2020-11-14 |first=Mark |last=Caswell |access-date=2021-05-28}}</ref>
<ref name=AirbusEthiopian>{{cite press release |title=Ethiopian Airlines builds success on A350 "Preighter" |url=https://www.airbus.com/newsroom/news/en/2021/04/Ethiopian-Airlines-builds-success-on-A350-Preighter.html |publisher=Airbus |date=2021-04-07 |access-date=2021-05-29}}</ref>
<ref name=AirCargoEye>{{cite news |title=Cargo-only pax flights help Ethiopian weather the storm |url=https://aircargoeye.com/cargo-only-pax-flights-help-ethiopian-weather-the-storm/ |first=Thelma |last=Etim |work=Air Cargo Eye |date=2021-03-25 |access-date=2021-05-29}}</ref>
<ref name=AirMagKorean>{{cite news |title=Korean Air Performs Historically Longest Flight |url=https://airwaysmag.com/airlines/korean-air-historically-longest-flight/ |access-date=15 June 2021 |date=14 June 2021 |last=Bertoletti |first=Mario |archive-date=4 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220104040542/https://airwaysmag.com/airlines/korean-air-historically-longest-flight/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
<ref name=CiriumMay2021>{{cite report |url=https://cirium.lookbookhq.com/air-cargo-fueling-momentum |title=Air Cargo: Fueling Momentum |section=Cabin Cargo Trend |last=Mellon |first=James |collaboration=Nigel Fisher, Bin He |date=May 2021 |publisher=Cirium |access-date=2021-06-30}} <!-- Last page of this cited work requires this link (in addition to attribution) when re-publishing claims from the report: -->[http://www.cirium.com/ www.cirium.com]</ref>
<ref name="ROGISTICS 2020">{{cite web | title=Iberia A330 'preighter' enters service ahead of peak season | website=ROGISTICS | date=2020-11-06 | url=https://rogistics.net/iberia-a330-preighter-into-service-ahead-of-peak-season/ | access-date=2021-08-17}}</ref>
</references>

Category:Air freight
Category:Cargo aircraft
Category:Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on aviation
Category:2020 in aviation

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Preighter](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preighter) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preighter?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.