UAE-based charter operator Maximus Air Cargo is planning to start its own scheduled freighter services. “This will either be under our own commercial responsibility or by going into a partnership with an established flag carrier,” said marketing manager Thomas Bommer.

“It’s too early to give specific routes at this stage as we are in the process of analysing different scenarios. We think that Southeast Asia, China and the Indian subcontinent will be among the first to see an upswing, and we aim at providing links, through for example Abu Dhabi into east, central and west Africa,” he said.

“Since we operate in niche markets for moving outsized air cargo and operating for other carriers on wet-lease, we have been lucky that our own fleet’s utilisation and rates have so far been comparable to last year’s performance,” Bommer added.

Maximus currently operates a fully owned fleet of eight freighters – one Antonov An-124-100, two A300-600RFs, three Ilyushin IL-76TDs and two Lockheed L-382G Hercules predominantly on contracts into or out of the Middle East – and plans to buy an A300-600 in the coming months as demand for outsized shipments and wet leases remains strong. In July it signed a contract to operate one A300-600 freighter for Etihad Crystal Cargo on a wet-lease basis. A second A300 will enter Etihad’s freighter schedule at the beginning of September.