Hactl seals deal for Aviastar-TU freight handling

Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl) received a contract from the Russian Post’s affiliate airline, Aviastar-TU, to handle its new freighter services from Tolmachevo in eastern Russia to Hong Kong.

The scheduled freighter service on the Russia-Hong Kong route is expected to increase from one to four times weekly by the end of 2017, with two Aviastar-TU flights from Tolmachevo and two from Vladivostok.

All services will be operated on behalf of the Russian Post aboard a Tupolev TU-204C freighter, which has a payload of 28.5 tonnes and 14 pallet positions. Under the contract, Hactl will provide full ramp and terminal handling services, as well as all documentation.

Aviastar-TU launched in 2000 and has operated the TU-204C for several express companies and postal authorities in Europe, and also between Russia and Asia. Of the agreement, Aviastar-TU CEO Dmitri Kovalenko described “Hactl’s considerable experience in mail handling, and their dedicated Express facilities” as being instrumental in the decision to award Hactl the contract.