Covid19 PPE Supplies Flown Into UK By Dorset Airline

Former Virgin Atlantic passenger planes have been brought into service to bring in vital Covid19 PPE supplies to the U.K.

European Aviation Group based at Bournemouth Airport in Dorset has nearly 20 A340 planes some have now had their seating stripped out.

European Aviation Group have evn more planes if required.

All to enhance their vital freight capacity on each flight from China or Malaysia.

Just over 300 seats have been removed which helps save fuel as generally the PPE items do not weigh as much as the passengers would.

They try to pack items into every nook and cranny. Some of the surgical head coverings were packed on this flight into the overhead bins and even into the galley food and drinks trollies.

Packed into every place Covid19 PPE supplies.

Normally wheeled up and down the aisles with food and drinks these had thousands packed into them.

European Aviation Group Flying In PPE

CEO Paul Stoddart explained that the flight brought back 125,000 surgical gowns and scrubs.

He went on to say, “It started with a phone call. I was asked do you have some spare planes and can you get some PPE picked up in Malaysia and China. And now the rest is history!”

European Aviation Group flying in Covid19 PPE supplies for NHS

“We have made 14 flights so far.  Currently we have two aircraft, a third is due on the route next week. A fourth is being made ready for the second week in July and a fifth will be ready by the end of July.”

“This is longest of all aircraft types. Without the seats it can carry more freight than any other aircraft including a 747!”

CEO Paul Stoddart in the passenger cabin with PPE for the NHS.

“The contract runs until September. But heaven forbids, if there is a second wave we could still be needed up until Christmas.”

The Plane Is Soon Surrounded

As the plane taxis in from runway ‘26’ and comes to a halt it is engulfed by maintenance and loading equipment.  Soon joined by dozens of staff.  As the engines are switched off, the teams of workers descend on it from all sides. Unloading and unpacking in the baggage holds and fuselage at the same time.

Boxes of urgently required materials are soon being off-loaded onto conveyors or scissor lifts. Towering piles of cardboard boxes on their pallets are swiftly whisked away.  Followed by a stream of vehicles and tractors to tow them to their distribution centre on the airfield.

Airbus A340 with PPE packed into the Cabin.

As one aircraft is being unloaded, it is also being refuelled and checked over by the engineers.  Ready to return later on that day back to the far east again.  The flight is around 12 hours.

Another A340 was being made ready for a test flight before it will also join in the race to the east in the next few days too.

Each plane carries a pilot and first officer and a number of former Virgin Atlantic cabin crew. As, well as looking after the pilots they also check the loads lashed in the former passenger areas.

European Aviation Group flying PPE into the UK.

It is important that all the crew were trained on that A340 type of aircraft and many had flown that exact aircraft, when it was in the Virgin fleet.