Combi Aircraft

A combi aircraft is a commercial airplane configured to simultaneously transport passengers and cargo on the main deck. Combi aircraft typically feature an oversized cargo door and tracks on the cabin floor to allow seats to be added or removed quickly. Class B cargo compartments are found on combi aircraft between the flight deck and passenger cabin or behind the passenger cabin at the rear of the aircraft, with both cargo and passengers carried on the main deck. The configuration provides operational flexibility for routes with mixed passenger and cargo demand, particularly in remote regions where dedicated freighters or passenger aircraft would be uneconomical.

Air Inuit operates Boeing 737-800 combis (AWB prefix 930) on routes like Montreal (YUL) to Iqaluit (YFB), carrying 90 passengers in the rear cabin and freight pallets in the forward compartment through the main deck cargo door. Alaska Airlines formerly operated Boeing 737-400 combis with flight AS 66 carrying 72 passengers in rows 17-onward while transporting four cargo igloos weighing 12,000-14,000 pounds in the front section, serving routes like Anchorage (ANC) to Juneau (JNU).

• combination aircraft
• combi
• combi cargo
• passenger-freighter

What cargo compartment classification applies to the main deck cargo area in combi aircraft?

The main deck cargo compartment in combi aircraft is classified as Class B under FAA regulation 14 CFR 25.857, which requires sufficient access for crew members to effectively reach any part of the compartment with a hand fire extinguisher without physically entering the compartment to fight fires.

Can dangerous goods be shipped in the passenger cabin portion of combi aircraft?

No, dangerous goods cannot be loaded in the passenger cabin area of combi aircraft. Per IATA guidance, when cargo is loaded into the passenger cabin, it shall not include any dangerous goods or live animals, and the passenger cabin is considered a Class A cargo compartment requiring constant crew monitoring.