Cargo is very much on the move for Cathay Pacific Airways as the Hong Kong-based airline may more than double its fleet of 11 freighter aircraft in coming years.
The airline is buying one new Boeing 747-400F freighter, which will arrive in 2005, and has placed an order for six more freighters, which will be converted from previously used Boeing 747-400 passenger aircraft, for delivery by 2007. It has options to convert six more aircraft later on.
This sprinting growth runs far ahead of six-eight per cent annual expansion projected for the airline as a whole, and reflects the unprecedented rate at which the demand for air cargo services in China is expected to grow.
“China is the factory of the world and Hong Kong is the world’s busiest international air cargo hub,” says Cathay Pacific general manager cargo Kenny Tang. “With our continued fleet expansion and local market knowledge we will be well placed to meet the growing demand for Chinese-made goods in key markets, such as Europe, the US and Japan.”
Cathay Pacific freighters currently serve 25 cities worldwide. Beijing, Munich and more cities in the US will be added to this network soon.
And with an all wide-body passenger aircraft fleet, Cathay Pacific offers cargo services across its global network of more than 85 destinations as well.