Cathay Pacific Boosts Cargo Trade in Mainland China

Cathay Pacific Airways has this week launched of a new twice-weekly freighter service to Zhengzhou, the capital city and principal commercial hub of Henan Province in Central China. The new link was inaugurated on March 28, 2012 and represents the third new destination in China that the Hong Kong-based carrier has added to its cargo network following the launch of flights to Chengdu and Chongqing in Western China in the second half of last year. The service is being operated by one of Cathay Pacific’s Boeing 747 Freighters and will be served via Shanghai on the outbound leg from Hong Kong but will return directly to the former British colony on its return flight.

“We see great business potential in Zhengzhou which is one of the fastest-growing centres for electronics manufacturing in the Mainland and is well-connected to a wide catchment area in Henan,” said Nick Rhodes, Director Cargo, Cathay Pacific Airways. “The new freighter service will offer shippers seamless connections to our extensive global network through the Hong Kong hub, helping to connect Zhengzhou to the world.”

Cathay Pacific says it is committed to expanding its freighter network and has been actively launching new destinations despite a recent softening of demand in the global airfreight industry. In addition to launching freighter services to Mainland China, it added services to Bengaluru in India and Zaragoza in Spain last year.

“We are confident about the long-term success of Cathay Pacific’s cargo business and about Hong Kong’s future as an international air cargo hub. That’s why, in addition to launching new destinations, we are investing heavily in new freighters and also building our own HK$5.7 billion cargo terminal at Hong Kong International Airport which is on schedule to begin operations in early 2013,” added Nick Rhodes.