European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), an agency of the European Union (EU) responsible for civil aviation safety, will not extend approvals and exemptions for the transport of cargo in passenger cabins.

"These were time-limited until July 31, 2022. Following a review of the operational context for transport of cargo in passenger cabins, the agency has concluded that the logistical challenges that arose in 2020 as a result of the Covid-19 crisis no longer exist to the same extent," an official statement said.

"In accordance with Issue 6.0 of the Guidelines for Transport of Cargo in Passenger Compartments, the agency has decided that exemptions delivered in this context will not be extended beyond the current validity of July 31, 2022. The same applies for existing approvals that have been granted based on the use of the deviation on transportation of cargo in passengers compartments."

The deviation can also not be applied to any certification projects for which the approval is issued after that date, the statement added.