Everyone asks: Is it possible for a passenger to travel on a cargo plane?



Some cargo aircraft have a small number of passenger seats and from time to time, they are occupied.

When a freighter aircraft is transporting live animals, for example racehorses or zoo animals, grooms who handle these animals will often be allocated passenger seats.

More typically it will be employees of the cargo operator in those seats, or possibly company pilots "deadheading" (travelling to another location before sitting in the pilot's seat).

Alaska Airlines operates 737-400 Combi aircraft, which carry a mix of passengers and freight, operating mainly within Alaska itself, and with services as far as Seattle.

These single-aisle aircraft have 72 seats, in effect a typical passenger aircraft with a big cargo capacity rather than true freighter aircraft.

As for booking and paying for a seat on a cargo flight, that's out of the question.

Among other problems, carrying paying passengers would require the flight to have flight attendants to meet safety requirements and that's not economical.

More to the point, a cargo airline's Air Operator's Certificate would forbid the carriage of paying passengers.

Comments