AirBridge adds 6th U.S. gateway to North American market

Russia-based all-cargo carrier AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC) has launched twice-weekly Boeing 747 freighter services from Moscow to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, its sixth online gateway in North America.

The new flight from Seattle, ABC said, will continue on to Chicago before returning to Europe and Moscow, providing ABC’s customers with connections to AirBridgeCargo’s international route network via its Moscow Sheremetyevo hub.

“For the last couple of years, we have significantly grown AirBridgeCargo’s footprint in the U.S.,” said Hendrik Falk, ABC’s vice president for the carrier’s North and South America regions. Some products he said he expected to be shipped on the route include aerospace components, machinery, fish, seafood and other perishables.

“We have witnessed Sea-Tac’s commitment to supporting cargo operators, and it is no wonder that the airport is gaining a much more prominent profile with cargo operators,” Falk added.

Seattle, located close to Everett, Wash., home of Boeing, can now become an aerospace link for customers in Asia, including China, Japan, Korea and Singapore, said Robert van de Weg, ABC’s senior vice president, marketing and Sales.

John Creighton, president of the Port of Seattle Commission, said the new ABC freighter service will “expand Sea-Tac’s global reach” directly to Moscow and Amsterdam and should be a “boost to our regional economy,” with new export options available.

Other U.S. cities on the list of ABC gateways to North America include Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Houston and Los Angeles.