Scoot modifies passenger plane, doubling cargo-carrying capacity

Budget carrier Scoot has modified one of its planes to carry only cargo from this month. Scoot removed all the seats of one of its A320ceo, doubling the aircraft's cargo-carrying capacity to nearly 20 tonnes. "With many passenger aircraft sitting idle due to the pandemic, Scoot started operating cargo charters to carry essential supplies as an alternative revenue stream," said Scoot's CE Campbell Wilson Monday. The modified aircraft's first flight took off from Fuzhou in China for Singapore's Changi Airport last Saturday carrying a total of 13 tonnes of cargo - mostly essential items. Although Scoot has operated more than 200 cargo charters to and from 10 cities such as Perth in Australia and Hangzhou in China since March, this is the first time the carrier has removed all seats on a passenger plane so it can transport cargo. Scoot is one of the first airlines in the region to operate a cargo chartered flight with a modified aircraft. The modifications on the A320 plane took four days to complete and to put in place safety precautions, such as installing placards to demarcate areas where cargo can be placed and adding fire extinguishers.<br/>