Malaysia Airlines Cargo (MASkargo) forecasts a pre-tax profit of M$200 million (US$58.4 million) for the year ending December 31, 2007, versus the M$179 million it earned last year, according to a report in The Star.

Malaysia Airlines (MAS) managing director and chief executive Idris Jala said that MASkargo, which had contributed more than five percent to MAS’ revenue last year, would target a pre-tax profit of M$200 million this year.

MASkargo chairman N Sadasivan said cargo revenue rose six percent to M$2.8 billion last year, compared with M$2.7 billion a year earlier, due to measures such as cost cutting and the implementation of new revenue management that prioritised high-yield air cargo.

“As transshipment cargo represents the biggest chunk of total air cargo throughput at 57 percent, it augurs well for the development of the KL International Airport as a prominent regional transhipment cargo hub,” said Sadasivan. Warehouse revenue also increased by three percent to M$164 million last year.