We went inside the secret crew rest area on a DHL Boeing 777 freighter, with bunk beds and reclining seats
A DHL cargo plane was on display at the Farnborough Airshow in the UK.We got a tour from an executive in charge of managing DHL's fleet.The crew's bunk beds looked cramped, but there were reclining seats, too.Cargo flights often operate throughout the night — and pilots need a place to sleep.Business Insider got a look at the crew rest area and other features on a DHL Boeing 777 freighter at the UK's Farnborough Airshow last week.The bunk beds and rest area provide the pilots with the features they need to stay sharp on long-haul flights as they alternate shifts in the cockpit. The Boeing 777-200LR was originally a passenger jet flying long-haul with Delta Air Lines until the airline sold it during the COVID-19 pandemic.Then, it was converted into a cargo plane by the American company Mammoth Freighters.Business Insider got a tour on board with DHL's senior vice president for global air fleet management, Malcolm Macbeth.It was fascinating to see what life is like on board for the pilots who transport everything from small packages to semiconductors and live animals.This DHL cargo plane was at the center of the aircraft display at Farnborough Airshow.After Delta retired the plane, it spent six years out of service before being converted."This plane was basically not flying for six years, and now it's about to get flying again," Macbeth told Business Insider.
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A DHL cargo plane was on display at the Farnborough Airshow in the UK.We got a tour from an executive in charge of managing DHL's fleet.The crew's bunk beds looked cramped, but there were reclining seats, too.Cargo flights often operate throughout the night — and pilots need a place to sleep.Business Insider got a look at the crew rest area and other features on a DHL Boeing 777 freighter at the UK's Farnborough Airshow last week.The bunk beds and rest area provide the pilots with the features they need to stay sharp on long-haul flights as they alternate shifts in the cockpit. The Boeing 777-200LR was originally a passenger jet flying long-haul with Delta Air Lines until the airline sold it during the COVID-19 pandemic.Then, it was converted into a cargo plane by the American company Mammoth Freighters.Business Insider got a tour on board with DHL's senior vice president for global air fleet management, Malcolm Macbeth.It was fascinating to see what life is like on board for the pilots who transport everything from small packages to semiconductors and live animals.This DHL cargo plane was at the center of the aircraft display at Farnborough Airshow.After Delta retired the plane, it spent six years out of service before being converted."This plane was basically not flying for six years, and now it's about to get flying again," Macbeth told Business Insider. "So, it's a 16-year-old airplane, but is only actually closer to 10."All the passenger interior was stripped out, and the floor beams were replaced with stronger metal ones.It's typically much cheaper to convert an airliner into a freighter than to buy a new plane.This airplane can carry a payload of up to 102 tons.Up front, much of the galley has been transformed into a crew rest area.This part of a cargo plane is called the supernumerary area.Pilots and mechanics get top priority as they may need to be repositioned for work, although all DHL staff can go on board for business trips. DHL, a multinational package delivery corporation headquartered in Germany, has a fleet of over 200 planes.
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- What's the story?
- A DHL cargo plane was on display at the Farnborough Airshow in the UK.We got a tour from an executive in charge of managing DHL's fleet.The crew's bunk beds looked cramped, but there were reclining seats, too.Cargo flights often operate throughout the night — and pilots need a place to sleep.Business Insider got a look at the crew rest area and other features on a DHL Boeing 777 freighter at the UK's Farnborough Airshow last week.The bunk beds and rest area provide the pilots with the features they need to stay sharp on long-haul flights as they alternate shifts in the cockpit. The Boeing 777-200LR was originally a passenger jet flying long-haul with Delta Air Lines until the airline sold it during the COVID-19 pandemic.Then, it was converted into a cargo plane by the American company Mammoth Freighters.Business Insider got a tour on board with DHL's senior vice president for global air fleet management, Malcolm Macbeth.It was fascinating to see what life is like on board for the pilots who transport everything from small packages to semiconductors and live animals.This DHL cargo plane was at the center of the aircraft display at Farnborough Airshow.After Delta retired the plane, it spent six years out of service before being converted."This plane was basically not flying for six years, and now it's about to get flying again," Macbeth told Business Insider.
- How widely is it covered?
- 1 outlet, average source rating 6.0/10.
- When was it last updated?
- 15h ago.
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We went inside the secret crew rest area on a DHL Boeing 777 freighter, with bunk beds and reclining seats
Sources1TypeCoverageBusiness Insider