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Avianor and Kenya Airways Make History with 787 Cargo Conversion

: Feb 4, 2021 - : 5:19 am

Kenya Airways, Kenya’s national carrier, and Avianor  have jointly repurposed the airline’s aircraft cabins into cargo transportation on the Boeing 787.

It is the first ever cargo repurpose of this type to be performed on the Boeing 787. The repurposing began in December last year and was completed in January. Kenya Airways has received air worthiness approval from the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCCA) and Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) and will soon begin cargo flights on the aircraft.

The repurposed cabin has been certified to carry up to 16 tonnes of cargo, potentially enabling the aircraft to reach its maximum payload while in cargo operation of 46 tonnes.

“We are excited to be part of the first ever certified cargo conversion of this type on the Boeing 787 aircraft. It demonstrates our agility, innovation and quick thinking as well as increases our cargo capability and capacity to keep essential goods moving across the globe,” said Allan Kilavuka, Group Managing Director & CEO, Kenya Airways. “Kenya Airways will keep playing its role as a catalyst for economic growth in the continent, by connecting the world to Africa, and Africa to the world for both our Cargo and Passenger customer segments.”

The airline currently has nine Dreamliners in its fleet, which are primarily used for passenger flights. In 2020, Kenya Airways used some of its Boeing 787 aircraft for cargo transportation, but aircraft seats remained, limiting the space for an increased freight capacity. With their expertise and engineering certifications, Avianor supervised Kenya Airways’ modifications on the full cabin repurposing of two of their B787.

“Avianor’s team has been pioneering the main deck temporary cargo repurposing process in response to the need for rapid increase in air freight cargo capacity at the onset of the pandemic,” said Matthieu Duhaime, President and CEO Avianor.  “We are very excited to now be working with Kenya Airways to adapt this solution for their 787 aircraft. This represents a unique design and certification challenge, and we are thrilled to demonstrate, once again, our ability to find unprecedented solutions to customer needs.”

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