Air Belgium launches Belgium to Hong Kong Service, employs Hactl

Air Belgium, the two-year-old combination carrier based in Brussels South Charleroi Airport (CRL), has signed on with Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited’s (Hactl’s) ground-handling services for its new A340-300 service between Brussels and Hong Kong.

The carrier launched the route yesterday, with Hactl providing its terminal handling and documentation services for the carrier at its destination in Hong Kong. The Airbus aircraft will open up 14 tonnes of cargo capacity between the hubs on its bi-weekly flights. John Cooper, the airline’s cargo manager, commented, “cargo will play an important role in generating revenue” on the new route.

The airline was started in summer of 2016 by Niky Terzakis, previously the CEO of ASL Airlines Belgium, to capitalize on demand for cargo and passenger capacity between Belgium and China’s three major hubs. It premiered its first revenue-generating flight in March of this year from CRL, saying it chose the airport as its central hub because, “it does not suffer from congestion,” likely alluding to its increasingly congested neighbors, Brussels Airport and Amsterdam Schiphol.