Hong Kong-based freight forwarder Janco Holdings Ltd announced it reached an agreement to ACMI-lease an A300-600F (733) from Uzbekistan-based Silk Road Cargo to support the launch of an own-controlled freighter operation, Hub Airways. Janco says it is looking to add a second aircraft in 2019.
When flights launch later this year, Hub Airways will target cross-border e-commerce volumes moving between mainland China and Southeast Asia. Outbound flights from Southern China are expected to carry e-commerce commodities, whereas inbound flights will target perishables from Southeast Asia. Hub Airways has also begun cooperating with low-cost carriers such as Thai Lion Air, which was appointed as a GSA for Hub Airways in China. Belly hold capacity on Thai Lion Air’s passenger routes between Thailand and China will factor into the agreement, though interlining between belly and freighter operations will ultimately depend on the routes Hub Airways is able to secure.
In November 2017, Janco established an e-commerce subsidiary, Shenzhen Janco E-commerce Co, Ltd., to handle cross-border e-commerce imports. As is the case with most imported e-commerce-related goods in China, merchants either choose to forward stock goods in a bonded warehouse or fulfill orders directly from abroad using a courier or postal agency for delivery. Janco operates a bonded warehouse in Shenzhen and uses warehouses in Hong Kong to store goods sent to mainland China by courier.
Although own-controlled freighter operations are new for Janco, the company has previously dabbled with long-term charters. Last month, Janco chartered a 737-300F operated by SF Airlines for three weekly roundtrip flights between Dhaka (DAC) and Nanning (NNG). Janco Chairman, Clarence Cheng is clearly bullish on the future of freighter operations. Upon launching the Dhaka charters, he said, “This is only the beginning. We will continue to bring in more, larger aircraft and develop new routing options for the market. Our experience and knowledge in the Asia-Pacific region grants us tremendous advantage in this undertaking.”
Learn more about trends in own-controlled freighter operations 10-12 October at Cargo Facts Symposium, where a roundtable panel discussion will be dedicated to the topic. For more information, or to register, visit www.cargofactssymposium.com.
