New cargo-securement system lets airlines transport cargo on passenger seats

With global aircargo capacity in high demand (think emergency medical shipments) but short supply, airlines are getting creative. For instance, several airlines are converting passenger aircraft grounded by pandemic-related travel restrictions into cargo flights. But that raises some issues—like how best to load cargo into a plane that’s designed for relatively flexible humans, not cardboard boxes.

Now, a Dutch company says it has a solution for that. Safety products maker Trip & Co. recently introduced the Air Cargo Seat Bag and Cargo Seat Net, which work together to secure cargo to passenger seats during flights, stabilizing and securing the load in order to protect both cargo and crew. Made of a waterproof, fire-retardant material, the system has a capacity of 175 pounds per seat (or up to 700 pounds per seat row), the company says.

One of the system’s key advantages is its ease and speed of installation, according to the manufacturer. “There is no need to remove passenger seats, allowing for less conversion time before an aircraft can operate in its new role,” Trip CEO Tijmen Koster said in a release. “Also, there is hardly any conversion once restoring operation as a passenger aircraft.”

Editor's note: This article originally appeared in our May 2020 issue with the headline "Leaving on a jet plane."