MRO service provider HAECO Xiamen has revealed it has provided Cathay Pacific Airways with a successful design engineering and certification solution that will allow the airline to utilise sections of its Boeing 777 passenger cabins in order to carry cargo.

A HAECO Group member, HAECO Xiamen provides a full range of airframe services at major airports in the Chinese mainland, including airframe maintenance, modification, cabin reconfiguration, passenger-to-freighter conversions and line services.

The company says the modification is covered by a supplemental type certificate and has been directly approved by the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department (HKCAD). It also uses HAECO Xiamen’s HKCAD Part 21J Design Organisation Approval.

According to HAECO Xiamen, the scope of work involves removing economy and premium economy seats to install cargo bags which are secured with cargo nets and straps in addition to other associated safety equipment.

The modification kit was directly sourced and fabricated on site by HAECO Xiamen, with the modification designed to be in line with Boeing’s Multi Operator Message (MOM-MOM-20-0239-16B) guidelines.

Minor change approval

In addition, HAECO Xiamen says it has obtained HKCAD’s minor change approval for Cathay Pacific. This allows cargo to be placed on the seats of the carrier’s Airbus A330 aircraft. This second modification kit, again fabricated by HAECO Xiamen, includes cargo bags secured onto the existing seat structures. The company notes it has been reclassified by HKCAD as a minor change on a time-limited basis.

The solutions allow Cathay Pacific to utilise a greater number of its aircraft for cargo-bearing flights, resulting in the airline being able to carry more essential goods internationally during the COVID-19 pandemic.

HAECO Xiamen employs around 4,500 staff in the Chinese mainland and operates its own certified aviation parts manufacturing and testing facilities. The company also runs a public training and licence examination centre, catering to both the technical and non-technical training needs of the MRO industry throughout the region.