German airport Parchim announced the start of scheduled cargo services with the landing of a B747-200F of Russian Tesis Airlines and a similar freighter by British MK Airlines last month. Both aircraft carried China made medical goods and consumer items to Parchim for distribution throughout Germanyand to the European markets.
According to chairman Jonathan Pang of Beijing-based agent LinkGlobal, who recently inked a deal to purchase Parchim Airport for 30 million euros, more regular traffic will followin the next few weeks.
Commencing in early August, China Southern Airlines will operate a B747- 400F on a new round trip Pudong – Amsterdam – Parchim – Pudong.“We’ve booked as much as three fl ightsper week with China Southern,” Pangstated. More spectacular however, isLinkGlobal’s project to launch a trainplaneconnection in an effort to bringgoods from the western parts of Chinato central Europe and even beyond toplaces in Africa, especially Nigeria.
The idea is based on the well established sea-air traffi c model, with Asian products being shipped as ocean freight to Dubai or Sharjah, where they are loaded on a freighter aircraft to continue their journey from the Emiratesto Europe.
In LinkGlobal’s case, however, its not vessels but trains that bring the consolidated shipments from the forwarder’s stronghold Zhengzhou inHenan province to Urumqi in the re-mote northwestern parts of China.
There, freighters of British cargo operator MK Airlines will take over the loads and fl y them to Parchim. This concept is expected to become operational by September with the introduction of shuttle trains from Zhengzhou to Urumqi and twice-weekly uplifts by MK Airlines. By facilitating this project, LinkGlobal’s CEO Pang expects to offer the market an attractive product that can easily match the traditional sea-airtransport costs and price.
The immediate results for Parchim would be the initiating of a hub and spoke traffi c, because a substantial number of incoming goods will be transited after their landing to other places in Europe or Africa. Such as the 56 tonnes that were brought in by Tesis on July 15, and re-shipped to Abuja in Nigeria together with European produceby the MK freighter.
Pang said that his next important task is “to stimulate some of the local forwarders to establish their own stations here at the airport to further push the upcoming fl ows of containers and pallets.” The county of Parchim meanwhile, confirmed that Link- Global has deposited 250,000 euros for taking over the airport company. Since July 1, 16 German staff are on the payroll of the Chinese forwarding company. – Heiner Siegmund
