FAA ISSUES GUIDANCE FOR HAULING CARGO IN PASSENGER CABINS
April 27, 2020
On April 15, 2020, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a Safety Alert for Operators (SAFO) on Transporting Cargo on Transport-Category Airplanes Configured to Carry Passengers, available here.
The FAA acknowledged that Part 121 operators may seek to use aircraft configured with passenger cabins to carry cargo only, or to carry additional cargo without passengers onboard, due to the COVID-19 epidemic. While 14 C.F.R. § 121.285 allows cargo to be transported within the passenger cabin, the SAFO notes that it is an extraordinary situation for an entire passenger cabin to be loaded with cargo as passenger aircraft are not designed for an all-cargo configuration. The SAFO provides information and recommendations for certificate holders to better evaluate regulatory implications and safety risks when transporting only cargo inside the passenger cabin of an airplane operating under Part 121.
Specifically, the SAFO provides information and guidance for carrying cargo on airplanes configured with passenger cabins without passengers in the following four locations for
- Lower deck cargo compartments;
- Existing approved stowage locations in the passenger cabin;
- Passenger seats located in the passenger cabin; and
- Floor of the passenger cabin (passenger seats removed), using seat tracks to tie cargo down.
If you have any questions, please contact Evelyn Sahr (esahr@eckertseamans.com or 202-659-6622); Drew Derco (dderco@eckertseamans.com or 202-659-6665), or Andy Orr (aorr@eckertsemans.com or 202-659-6625).
Share This Post
Authors
