The aircraft has been modified by IAG Cargo’s sister company Iberia, and comes ahead of the peak season for air cargo and as demand for cargo services grows.
The decision to convert the aircraft pre-empts the holiday season, a busy period for the air cargo industry, and at a time when IAG Cargo typically supports hundreds of customers to move thousands of additional tonnes of products around the world.
The A330 preighter service (an Iberia wide-body passenger aircraft with all the seats removed) will be serviced by IAG Cargo, providing much needed extra capacity to deliver the logistics programmes for its customers across the world.
It took the team just a week to remove the seats on the aircraft and just a few weeks to fully convert the aircraft. The operation has seen all Economy, Premium Economy seats and crew rest seats removed, along with separation panels. Carpeting was reinstalled with lights indicating the 33 cargo positions. Cargo will be held in place with netting fastened to floor rails where the seats were anchored. In its new configuration, the aircraft now has the capacity to carry over 200 cubic metres of cargo.