Cathay Pacific Airways is to launch a new scheduled freighter service to the fast-developing Chinese city of Chengdu, which is emerging a key passenger and freight market in Western China, and which will be the host of next year’s Routes Asia forum. The new flight will operate twice weekly and will return to Hong Kong via Shanghai.

The Asian carrier currently operates 16 flights per week to Shanghai, but the addition of Chengdu to its network from October 12, will enable it to grow its presence in the west of the country as it grows in importance as a high-end manufacturing centre. The airline is also serving Chongqing in the region, inaugurating a twice-weekly freighter service in August.

“A gradual shift in manufacturing towards Central and Western China has been evident with key players in the consumer electronics field recently setting up in Chongqing and Chengdu. It is estimated that by the end of 2011, one out of five of the world’s computers will be made in Chengdu,” said Nick Rhodes, Director Cargo, Cathay Pacific Airways.

“While the global airfreight market has seen a slowdown in recent months, Cathay Pacific is still looking for opportunities to expand and diversify its network and develop the Hong Kong hub by serving important new markets,” he added. Alongside the growth in China, Cathay Pacific will boost cargo frequencies to Miami from five a week to a daily basis from the end of October, while capacity across its network will be further expanded when it takes delivery before the end of this year of the first three of ten Boeing 747-8Fs it has on order.