Virus spurs American Air’s first cargo-only flights in 36 years

Bloomberg

American Airlines Group Inc is shifting some of its biggest idled jets to ferry just cargo — the carrier’s first flights without passengers in nearly four decades.
The Boeing Co 777-300s will fly medical supplies, military mail, e-commerce packages and high-demand office equipment as more people work from home, the airline said in a statement. The wide-body flights began last week, with two round trips over four days between Frankfurt and the airline’s home base at Dallas-Fort Worth airport.
They will be American’s first scheduled cargo-only flights since 1984, when the airline retired the last of its Boeing 747 freighters.
The shift shows one way the world’s biggest airline by traffic is attempting to bolster sinking sales as the new coronavirus spreads across the globe and governments restrict travel.
The US told all Americans not to travel abroad. Major US carriers are idling at least 1,000 aircraft in response to the collapse in demand.
“Challenging times call
for creative solutions,” Rick Elieson, American’s cargo president, said.
Chief Executive Officer Doug Parker and the airline’s unions urged the federal government to quickly approve a $58 billion aid package for the industry. Without passengers, their letter said, American and other carriers can’t afford
to fly.
“And without airplanes to fly, mechanics, flight attendants, pilots, dispatchers, fleet and airport workers, just to name a few, will lose the ability to provide for their families,” the letter said.
American will park 450 planes, or 29% of its fleet, as it cuts international capacity 75% and domestic, 30%. It has cancelled 55,000 flights in April alone.