Chapman Freeborn and Avion team up on A320 and A321 freight flights
23 / 04 / 2020
Avion Express and Chapman Freeborn team up on cargo flights
Charter broker Chapman Freeborn has been utilising the A320 and A321 aircraft of sister company Avion Express to meet demand for the transport of medical supplies.
The two companies have worked together and received all the required approvals to operate cargo-only flights across Avion’s entire fleet of Airbus passenger aircraft.
The broker said that the A320 aircraft are able to carry a maximum of 17 tons or 85 cu m of cargo (30 cu m in the cargo hold, 50 cu m on the main deck and 5 cu m in overhead lockers), while the A321s can carry a total of 24 tons or 100 cu m (40 cu m in the bellyhold, 55 cu m in the maindeck and 5 cu m in the overhead lockers).
The demand for cargo capacity has been greatly exacerbated by the grounding of many passenger fleets due to a sharp decline in passenger travel. Meanwhile, governments are urgently trying to fly medical equipment around the world.
Chapman Freeborn cargo director Pierre Van der Stichele said: “At the moment, any additional capacity is making a huge difference as it increases the volume of life-saving equipment that’s making its way to our hospitals.
“It’s great to see the entire cargo industry galvanised during this crisis and creating solutions that affect the lives of people across the world. Chapman Freeborn has already transported thousands of tons of critical aid on both cargo and passenger aircraft.”
Dainius Staniulis, Avion Express commercial manager added: “Our recent decision to operate cargo-only flights on our fleet of Airbus A320s and A321s was absolutely the correct thing to do. We’ve performed numerous projects already, transporting N95 respirators and other equipment from hubs in China, across Europe.
“The aircraft are actually very spacious and can accommodate a significant amount of cargo. We are working with authorities to remove the seats in the passenger deck to maximise the cargo volume that we can carry and help us utilize the cabin and overhead compartments for lighter, smaller boxes, while the belly hold is used for larger items.”
In 2019 Avion Express operated a fleet of 22 Airbus A320 family aircraft.
