Asiana adapts passenger plane to carry more cargo

Industry

Published: 24 Sep. 2020, 17:11 Updated: 24 Sep. 2020, 17:20

Asiana adapts passenger plane to carry more cargo

[ASIANA AIRLINES]

Asiana Airlines has modified an A350-900 passenger plane to carry cargo in order to expand its transportation capacity as the demand for cargo delivery is on the rise.

Asiana said Thursday it renovated an A350-900 to expand the cargo capacity to 23 tons, five tons more than its cargo capacity when outfitted for passenger transportation. In response to the rise in demand for parcel delivery amid the pandemic, Asiana eliminated 283 economy seats to make space for cargo.

The modified plane was first used on Thursday to deliver 20 tons of cargo including electronic parts and clothes from Incheon to Los Angeles.

For passenger flights, the airline started online ticket sales on Thursday for a travel package offering a two-hour, non-stop round-trip on its A380 plane on Oct. 24 and 25. Dubbed “hotel in the sky,” the program offers a chance to see Korea from the sky, flying above Gangneung, Pohang, Kimhae and Jeju.

“The special package is dedicated to those who have been missing traveling by plane during the pandemic,” said an Asiana spokesperson. “We sincerely hope that the pandemic will be over soon, so that people can regularly fly again.”

BY LEE JEE-YOUNG [lee.jeeyoung1@joongang.co.kr]