Air Hong Kong to bring ASL-operated A330Fs under own AOC

Wholly owned Cathay Pacific-subsidiary Air Hong Kong (AHK) will soon be operating at least two A330 freighters under its own AOC, the carrier told Cargo Facts. While the carrier currently operates ten A300-600Fs, it had previously contracted ASL Airlines Ireland to operate a small fleet of A330Fs on an ACMI basis. The first aircraft, an […]

• Jeff Lee
• July 4, 2019

European, Middle Eastern carriers see growth return in May first look

After a particularly weak April for air cargo traffic, carriers based in Europe and the Middle East saw growth return in our first look at May results. Among those carriers based outside Europe and the Middle East, only China Southern Airlines reported a year-over-year increase for May traffic, of 1.1%. Turkish Cargo reported the strongest […]

• Brianne Ledda
• June 25, 2019

Cathay Pacific signs 747-400ERF engine maintenance deal

In a sign that the Hong Kong-based carrier intends to continue operating its fleet of six 747-400ERF for at least a few more years, Cathay Pacific and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Aero Engines, Ltd. (MHIAEL) signed a five-year contract under which MHIAEL will provide engine MRO services for Cathay’s 747-400ERFs. The engines covered under the exclusive […]

• Caryn Livingston
• May 30, 2019

A handful of carriers see traffic growth return in March

After a dismal February for Asia-Pacific carriers, March cargo traffic results are painting a more positive picture, with China Southern Airlines and Air China, in particular, seeing cargo traffic growth from 2018 levels of at least a few percent. Among those Asian carriers still reporting declines for the month, in all cases, March declines were […]

• Caryn Livingston
• April 23, 2019

Cathay Pacific optimistic on cargo growth for 2019

Despite the “soft start to the year” for air cargo so far in 2019, in a statement yesterday, Cathay Pacific’s General Manager, Cargo Commercial, Nelson Chin, touted the Hong Kong-based airline’s positive annual results for 2019 after two consecutive years of losses. Some of the optimism stems from improved passenger figures – particularly considering that […]

• Caryn Livingston
• March 28, 2019

Asian carrier traffic fell steeply in February

Major carriers based in Asia are reporting steep declines in cargo demand for the month of February, compared to the same month in 2018. Although distortions can be expected when it comes to annual comparisons for the months of January or February due to the timing of the Lunar New Year holiday, this year’s declines […]

• Charles Kauffman
• March 20, 2019

New cargo startup, more freighters for China

Today, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) approved the establishment of a new Chinese cargo carrier, Zhongzhou Airlines Co., Ltd., that will be based out of Zhengzhou Airport (CGO). The airport, which also serves as Cargolux’s China hub, seems to be gaining traction as a hub in the domestic Chinese cargo landscape. Zhongzhou Airlines is […]

• Chelsea Toczauer
• January 31, 2019

Air freight traffic disappoints in December first look

The disappointing November results revealed in last month’s first look were apparently a preview for an overall diminished peak season for air freight, as volumes and traffic declined across all regions. Many of the same culprits behind November’s year-over-year decline – notably an increasingly uncertain global trade environment, faltering economic performance across multiple economies, and […]

• Caryn Livingston
• January 15, 2019