As the world slowly returns to normal after two years of a global pandemic, cargo transported in the cabins of passenger aircraft will soon be something of the past.This comes as the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (Easa) has announced that it won’t extend a safety exemption that allowed airlines to carry critical supplies in the passenger cabin to make up for capacity lost when the pandemic closed down most commercial f lights.Phreighters – or rather passenger aircraft with cargo strapped in seats and stashed into overhead cabins – became a common sight at airports around the world as airlines scrambled to keep their aircraft in the sky despite a lack of passengers. Airfreight was possibly one of the worst-hit industries in the world, and cargo transported in cabins became a critical lifeline for many airlines.In a notice issued earlier this month, Easa stated the logistical challenges that had arisen in 2020 as a result of the Covid-19 crisis no longer existed to the same extent, hence its decision not to extend the safety exemption.Airlines will not be allowed to transport cargo in the passenger cabin from July 31.“In accordance with the Issue 6.0 of the Guidelines for Transport of Cargo in Passenger Compartments, the Agency has determined that the exemptions delivered in this context will not be extended beyond the current validity of July 31, 2022,” reads the notice.
