Kenya Airways (KQ), Kenya’s national carrier, and Montreal-based Avianor, a leader in MRO, integration and interior finishing of commercial and military aircraft, have reached an agreement to collectively repurpose Kenya Airways’ aircraft cabins into cargo transportation on the Boeing 787.
The repurposed cabins have been certified to carry up to 16 tons of cargo, potentially enabling the aircraft to reach their maximum payload while in cargo operation of 46 tons. The repurposing began in December 2020 and was completed in January 2021.
This new collaboration demonstrates the airline’s confidence in Avianor, an affiliate of DRAKKAR Aerospace & Ground Transportation. KQ currently has nine Dreamliners in its fleet, which are primarily used for passenger flights. In 2020, Kenya Airways used some of its Boeing 787 aircraft for cargo transportation, but aircraft seats remained in place, limiting the space for an increased freight capacity.
With its expertise and engineering certifications, Avianor supervised Kenya Airways’ modifications on the full cabin repurposing of two B787s and Kenya Airways has received air worthiness approval from the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCCA) and Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) and will soon begin cargo flights.
