AIRWAYS SPECIAL
2 AKEs are the most common containers used by commercial flights to carry baggage . Each AKE can hold between 40 and 50 pieces of luggage .
3 The landing gear is checked constantly , as it is the only part of the plane that is in contact with the ground . Checks for tire punctures and hazardous objects occur regularly during turnarounds .
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today ’ s Dreamliner is carrying 10,000kg ( 22,000lb ) of fresh mangoes , which will end up in the fruit sections of supermarkets all across the continent .
Immediately after the plane stops at the gate , it ’ s crucial to conduct a thorough security walk around it . During the flight , the fuselage , wings , or engines may have been damaged by foreign object debris , and any crack or dent must be immediately reported to the maintenance service to be checked and repaired as soon as possible .
During the walkaround , I look inside the landing gear compartments . Commercial flights — especially those between South America and Europe — are some of the best ways for drug dealers to clandestinely transport illegal packages , often craftily hidden in the recesses of landing gear compartments .
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At the same time , during disembarkation , local authorities are searching for passengers exhibiting nervousness to inspect their documentation for fake passports or invalid visas . This is not an easy task . Agents must identify these few passengers among crowds of around 300 disembarking people , and they must do so without disrupting the flow or slowing the process .
The offloading of passengers and cargo from a fully loaded Boeing 787 flight may take between 45 minutes and an hour of hard work . Immediately after , we welcome the catering and cleaning staff and let them take care of the cabin to
48 AIRWAYS MAGAZINE AUGUST 2024 www . airwaysmag . com