Cargolux Airlines has today revealed a Boeing 747 with a new coating. The special livery has a mask on the nose of the aircraft where the cargo loading door is with the straps leading back to the airline’s name painted across the fuselage. It is quite an iconic livery that accurately sums up the times.

The special mask livery

Cargolux unveiled the Boeing 747 with the special mask livery on social media. The mask itself is blue and stretches across the aircraft’s nose with the straps heading back to the fuselage where the airline’s name is painted. Underneath the Cargolux name, “NOT WITHOUT MY MASK” is painted. The airline said in a Twitter post that the livery reflects the “airline’s commitment to the fight against COVID-19.”

As the health situation has evolved, various agencies have recommended or mandated masks in public areas. One of the main ways COVID-19 spreads is through respiratory droplets. Masks and other appropriate face coverings can help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

As airlines move to use their passenger jets for cargo-only flights, the lack of a proper cargo door on passenger jets has meant airlines can usually only fly small, lightweight cargo in the cabin. Much of that has been for medical equipment, including masks to go to private citizens, hospitals, and other distribution centers.

The aircraft

The Boeing 747 that received the little makeover is registered as LX-VCF. The aircraft is a Boeing 747-8F and is about eight years old, having been delivered back in 2012 to the airline. The company has not released a schedule of routes that the plane will be flying. It has been in Taipei (TPE) since July, according to data from Flightradar24.

In the future, once the jet reenters commercial service, it will be flying high-density cargo routes out of Luxembourg, which is the central hub for Cargolux. Expect the 747-8F to land in destinations like Bangkok, Houston, Mexico City, and more.

The 747-8F can be loaded through the nose, making it a very versatile aircraft. It is best suited to carry large and heavy loads on long-haul routes. Some of the cargo will likely end up transferring to another plane in Luxembourg to reach other destinations.

Cargolux and the pandemic

Cargolux has been quite busy during the pandemic. The airline has continued to fly its cargo jets around the world. Back in February, the airline made a donation of 75,000 face masks and 44,000 sanitary wipes to Zhengzhou in China as a mark of support for the airline’s partners in the area.

The airline celebrated its 50th year of operations just before the crisis hit. While it did shock the industry, it also highlighted the essential nature of air cargo carriers in facilitating the movement of vital supplies and materials to keep global supply chains intact.

Cargolux has a robust route network that sees it fly cargo all around the world out of its hub in Luxembourg’s sole international airport. According to data from Planespotters.net, the airline has a fleet of 30 Boeing 747 aircraft. This is made up of 16 747-400Fs and 14 747-8Fs.

Are you excited to see this Cargolux “Not Without My Mask” Boeing 747-8F? Let us know in the comments!