Moderators: richierich, ua900, PanAm_DC10, hOMSaR
mmo wrote:The reason is the SAA crash due to a fire on the main deck. The FAA issued a NPRM which if put into place would make an existing combi and new builds extremely expensive to modify/purchase and operate. The proposal would require a main deck firefighting capability as well as a dedicated firefighter. That adds a tremendous amount of weight/costs which make the combi not very cost effective if the rule was implemented.
WIederling wrote:mmo wrote:The reason is the SAA crash due to a fire on the main deck. The FAA issued a NPRM which if put into place would make an existing combi and new builds extremely expensive to modify/purchase and operate. The proposal would require a main deck firefighting capability as well as a dedicated firefighter. That adds a tremendous amount of weight/costs which make the combi not very cost effective if the rule was implemented.
What about the "full switch" use case?
LH used to fly their frames with PAX over the day and then do one round of freight ( mostly mail ) in the night.
sorry only in German available, use Gtranslate:
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nachtluftpost
Afair and like the A310 MRTT seating was attached to pallets.
Starlionblue wrote:AFAIK, there are no new combis because the powers that be will no longer certify a new aircraft with cargo and pax on the same deck.
Economically, I get the feeling that given the increasing fragmentation of routes, you need more flexibility than a combi will provide. As in you don't want to be stick with the same schedule constraints for the cargo and the pax.
XAM2175 wrote:QF also AFAIK do cargo-only turns with some of their all-pax aircraft at night, in addition to their dedicated subsidiary and contracted freighters.
Max Q wrote:XAM2175 wrote:QF also AFAIK do cargo-only turns with some of their all-pax aircraft at night, in addition to their dedicated subsidiary and contracted freighters.
I think it was Eastern Airlines that
did this in the ‘80’s with the A300
used as a lower deck cargo carrier
Then someone had the idea ‘why
not sell the empty seats and make
some extra $ ?
And that’s what they did on those
red eye flights, the fares were dirt
cheap
I don’t think these flights lasted very
long though