Conversion of commercial aircraft to cargo aircraft this year will grow by 30% compared to last year

The massive restructuring of the global fleet will be driven by the explosive growth of e-commerce during the pandemic. According to Cirium, about 90 aircraft in storage are expected to be refitted in 2021, up from 70 in 2019.

It is noted that in 2020, due to the consequences of Covid-19, more than 150 commercial aircraft were used without re-equipment to transport goods in order to make up for losses due to a sharp drop in passenger traffic.

IATA says airlines will need another $ 80 billion in aid this year, in addition to the nearly $ 200 billion received from governments last year. The association predicts more than 50% growth in air traffic in 2021 compared to 2020, which will allow the industry to recover by half from pre-crisis levels. However, with the existing risks of stricter travel restrictions, traffic may increase by only 13%, which means the industry will be at 38% of the pre-crisis level.

In 2021, air travel in the Middle East will grow by 43%, provided travel restrictions are not further tightened. The hope remains that the industry will recover quickly, airlines will find financial stability, passengers will be able to fly as before, and cargo will be delivered smoothly.

According to Cirium, the pandemic has nullified 21-year growth in global passenger traffic in 2020, pushing airlines back to 1999 levels. In 2020, more than 40 commercial carriers stopped or suspended operations around the world. The year ended with two-thirds of the world's passenger fleet being stopped, some aircraft no longer taking off, and those returning to service flew less than hours. It turns out that during the pandemic, air cargo carriers found themselves in more favorable conditions. After all, they do not need to re-equip, change or rebuild anything. ZetAvia was no exception. As in pre-crisis times, on its Il-76T and Il-76TD cargo planes, ZetAvia delivers heavy and oversized equipment, fragile and valuable cargo, and even animals to the countries of the Middle East, Europe and Africa.

Oleg Sergeev