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could recently retired cargo aircraft (ex FedEx/UPS/DHL) be pulled back into service to help deliver critical supplies around the World? I imagine quiet a few

• close04 7y ago
  They already have too many idle planes that used to carry passengers. It's down to what's cheaper/safer: bringing mothballed planes back in use and making sure they are airworthy, or adapting the current passenger plane fleet to carry freight. Which likely means nothing more than covering the seats with sturdy covers to accommodate stuff like airmail or emergency medical supplies. Dismantling seats is more expensive and less useful since squeezing bulky cargo through a passenger door is "a bit" of a hassle.
  • 9nGQluzmnq3M 7y ago
    > Which likely means nothing more than covering the seats with sturdy covers to accommodate stuff like airmail or emergency medical supplies No, that's not how it works. Air freight is containerized, so you need space that can take those containers, and converting a passenger plane into a freighter takes about three months.
    • close04 7y ago
      > converting a passenger plane into a freighter takes about three months No, that's not how it works. Airlines will hate to make the best out of a bad situation which means maximizing results while minimizing expenditure. If we're talking about (quote) "emergency medical supplies" (and not only) it will be done exactly as I described. Sturdy seat covers and airmail bags are actually a practice today for some companies. And rules change in emergencies. Converting a GM, Tesla, or Ford factory to build ventilators would take fornever. And yet here we are with them volunteering to do it on short notice.