Subj : Re: Used Boeing 747-8s are converted to busi
To   : All
From : Rug Rat
Date : Mon Oct 20 2025 22:03:21

 On the subject of Combi...

Going in circles..   The primary reason was safety.  Even updated fire supression on the main deck carying passengers carries it's own risks.  Since the main method of fire supression in to starve the fire of oxygen.  What happens if you have a system dump in the portion of cabin with passengers?  You either kill your self loading cargo, or in the event of a an actual fire still have O2 being fed into the area (Mask dump).  

There was other criteria the airlines and manufactures felt too constly to implement.  It usually always comes down to cost.  With the surge in dedicated cargo company's there was no longer a need for combi's.  They were a nice tool for airlines to adjust their loads during seasonal passenger flux, but companies can do that by carrying cargo in the holds anyway (Just limmited by size).

The main reason remains.  Airbus engineered themselves into a corner.  It's main purpose was a to develope a passenger aircraft, which they did.  The 747 was designed with a future role as a cargo aircraft in mind.  There is already a certified after market conversion process for the 747, doing so with the A380 would be starting from scratch as far as the conversion process goes.  As a business which road are you going to take?  The cost effective one, or the one that makes you the first to do so?

** Yes I am aware of the fully staffed "Preighter" flights.  While it seems like a waste of money, you are keeping your fleets active without having to pay for the cost of storage prep, storage, then prepping them to return to the line.  You are keeping your pilots in regs with flight time, you are keeping your crew in regs with training and flight time, and making money moving cargo, and with the vacines... a good public image.  The regs for FA staffing comes from how the aircraft is certified for evacuation, and the number of seats it is certified with.  (Even in the case of Korean Air, which removed seats to be able to strap packages to the floor, where some airlines just placed the packages in the seats..).   You also have a crew with a new side hustle of cargo loaders (I bet they were not paid extra for that!).  If it didn't help the airlines bottoms line during the pandemic, you know they would not have done so.

Rug Rat (Brent Hendricks)
Blog and Forums  - www.catracing.org
IMAGE BBS! 3.0   - bbs.catracing.org 6400
C-Net Amiga BBS  - bbs.catracing.org 6840
--- CNet/5
 * Origin: The Rat's Den BBS (1:135/250)

.