MAB Kargo Sdn Bhd (MASkargo), a subsidiary of Malaysia Aviation Group whose portfolio also includes Malaysia Airlines Berhad, had on last April 26 operated the latter’s biggest passenger aircraft, the A380, as a cargo-only flight for the first time in its history. The aircraft carried 26 tons of cargo, mostly loaded e-commerce goods originating from Guangzhou, and departed from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to Heathrow Airport, London.
MASkargo CEO Ibrahim Mohamed Salleh said the company had decided to employ A380 for cargo in order to meet the high volume of freight demand. This is because MASkargo has maximized the flying hours of all its existing freighters due to COVID-19 relief efforts and other business requirements. Previously, MASkargo had carried out the passenger-to-cargo (P2C) project by using A330 passenger fleet to carry cargo.
The A380 aircraft reportedly returned from London fully laden with cargo consisting of pharmaceutical products and mail, making the A380 P2C rotation a successful project for the company. MASkargo is currently considering operating more P2C flights to satisfy global and domestic needs.
(Sources: Air Cargo News; New Straits Times)