Sundry Photography / Shutterstock.com and Israeli Aerospace Industries
Cargo carriers and e-commerce giants are buying up aging airliners and turning them into cargo jets.
Israel Aerospace Industries is one conversion firm that the likes of Amazon have entrusted with their planes.
The process can take up to around 120 days, and slots are booked years in advance.
A unique fleet of aircraft is fueling the explosive growth of e-commerce as consumers turn to online shopping during the pandemic and retailers promise faster-than-ever delivery times.
And while air travel remains signifcantly lower due to COVID-19, some former passenger aircraft are avoiding early retirement by finding a second life moving cargo. Logistics giants, meanwhile, are using the airline industry's downturn to grow their fleets by acquiring aging passenger aircraft for a fraction of what they'd sell for new.