Cathay Pacific adds 11 more freighter flights a week to Europe

With the extra services, the number of freighter flights operated to Europe every week by the airline will rise from 25 to 36 – an increase of almost 50 per cent. The addition of the 11 flights, which are still subject to Government approval, will further strengthen Hong Kong’s position as one of the world’s leading airfreight hubs.

A total of five flights a week are being added to Frankfurt, Germany’s main cargo hub, operating every Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The extra flights, all routed through Dubai, will take to 11 the number of flights Cathay Pacific operates between Hong Kong and Frankfurt each week.

The other six new flights all follow a Hong Kong-Dubai-Manchester-Amsterdam-Dubai-Hong Kong pattern, departing Hong Kong every day of the week except Friday. Cathay Pacific already operates a freighter service to Manchester, with eight flights a week, while Amsterdam will be a new freighter destination for the airline.

Cathay Pacific Director & General Manager Cargo Ron Mathison said: “Europe is an important cargo market for Hong Kong and we are very pleased to be able to further strengthen our presence in the continent through these additional flights. The Cathay Pacific name has a good reputation in Europe and we believe the enhanced services will help us to better meet demand out of Hong Kong and the Mainland, at the same time giving a further boost to the Hong Kong hub.”

Cathay Pacific currently operates a fleet of 17 freighter aircraft, including seven Boeing 747-200s, six 747-400s and four 747-400 “Boeing Converted Freighters”. Amsterdam will become the airline’s 32nd freighter destination. The airline is committed to building Hong Kong as an airfreight hub by adding new destinations, increasing frequencies and strengthening its freighter fleet. Two more “Boeing Converted Freighters” will be delivered in 2007 and six long-range Boeing 747-400ERFs are on firm order, with deliveries starting in May 2008.