(Bloomberg) --
Emirates plans to temporarily convert 10 Boeing Co. wide-body planes to carry more cargo, switching focus to the transport of goods while waiting for a recovery in passenger air travel.
The world's largest long-haul airline has modified seven Boeing 777-300ER jets by removing 305 economy class seats from each plane, the airline said in a statement on Thursday. Three more aircraft are due to be similarly converted by mid-July.
The measure has been introduced as demand for personal-protective equipment and other goods used to battle the coronavirus continues to rise, Emirates said. Planes would typically only carry cargo in their holds.
Read More: Emirates to Resume Flying A380 Superjumbos to London, Paris
Emirates, which connects Dubai to 40 cities, said on Monday it's seeing traffic building up across the carrier's network as it adds flights and Dubai eases travel restrictions. The airline temporarily grounded its passenger fleet and is cutting thousands of jobs as it deals with the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic.
The state-owned airline's fleet comprises of 155 Boeing 777s and 115 Airbus SE A380s.
Read More: Emirates Starts Thousands of Job Cuts to Offset Virus Slump
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