Brazilian civil aviation regulatory authority ANAC has granted an exemption for the carriage of additional freight on Embraer passenger aircraft, the Brazilian airframe maker said Friday. Embraer published technical dispositions for the ERJ-145 and E-Jet families of commercial jets, including E2s, that explain how to accommodate cabin freight. It has also written a service bulletin for the EMB-120 turboprop.

In addition to placing small packages in overhead bins and stowage compartments, cargo items can rest on each seat, subject to certain restrictions. A fully loaded 96-seat E190 can carry 6,720 pounds of cabin freight in addition to under floor cargo. A 118-seat E195 can carry 8,260 pounds.

Customers can opt for a floor-mounted freight configuration if their cargo cannot fit on passenger seats. That option allows the removal of up to 70 percent of the passenger seats, while the remaining areas accommodate items on the cabin floor. Crews must contain freight in approved netting that attaches to the inboard and outboard seat tracks. Brazil’s Azul cargo has already developed such a configuration for a first-generation E195.

With the significant decline in air traffic and less belly capacity in passenger airplanes, the industry faces a critical need for more cargo space.

“Embraer’s engineers rose to the challenge when our customers asked them if they could find a way for their Embraer airplanes to carry more cargo payload,” explained Johann Bordais, president and CEO of Embraer Services & Support. “Today, customers can choose from a portfolio of solutions to carry cargo in the cabins of their EMB-120s, ERJ-145s, and E-Jets.”