American Airlines is utilizing grounded passenger aircraft to move cargo between the USA and Europe.
The first flight will depart Dallas Fort Worth airport today (Friday, March 20), with the Boeing 777-300 scheduled to land in Frankfurt, Germany, tomorrow (Saturday, March 21).
Two route trips will be operated between Dallas and Frankfurt over four days, carrying cargo and necessary flight personnel.
The 777-300 has 14 cargo positions and 50 tons of capacity, with the flights carrying medical supplies, mail for US military, telecommunications equipment and electronics for home workers, and e-commerce packages.
Rick Elieson, president of American Airlines Cargo and vice president of international operations, said, “We have a critical role to play in keeping essential goods moving during this unprecedented time, and we are proud to do our part and find ways to continue to serve our customers and our communities.”
He added, “Challenging times call for creative solutions, and a team of people across the airline has been working non-stop to arrange cargo-only flight options for our customers.”
American Airlines is carrying medicine and e-commerce goods on domestic flights. The first shipment of coronavirus test kits was transported from Raleigh-Durham airport to Chicago O’Hare airport.