Air Cargo Germany (ACG) is set to begin its first line haul services to Shanghai and Hong Kong following approval from the Chinese authorities for traffic rights to both destinations, according to the carrier. The flights will begin in early October said senior managers of the airline.

“In future we plan to utilise 70 per cent of our two jumbo freighters’ B747- 400SF capacity for line haul flights and 30 per cent for charter missions,” said managing director Thomas Homering. Charter and scheduled flights will be linked on the intercontinental west-east routes and the return flights back to Germany, he added.

“We might offer the markets a charter to Almaty in Kazakhstan, ferry to Hong Kong and return as line haul flight to our home base Frankfurt-Hahn airport,” Homering said. “By mixing both models we enhance the load factor and reduce our financial risk,” stressed VP Strategic Development Andrey Goryashko who headed Aeroflot Cargo before he joined ACG Air Cargo Germany last year.

In addition to their line haul announcement Homering and Goryashko presented a record of the carrier’s operational first two months. Both spoke of a “quite remarkable interim result” due to the increasing utilisation of the aircraft and the growing load factor.

“The capacity of our freighters is physically booked out till the end of the first week in October,” emphasized Homering.

Since the maiden flight of ACG’s first B747-400SF in late July, more than 90 shipments have been undertaken for different customers. Meanwhile the combined flying record of the two aircraft – the second B747-400SF joined the fleet only beginning of September – succeeds 400 hours. Both freighters have successfully undergone C-checks and are in a technically formidable condition, confirmed CEO Michael Bock.

ACG’s latest service is a regular weekly service on charter conditions that links Frankfurt-Hahn with Beirut and Dubai. Beginning October this round trip will be offered to customers twice a week. Further the carrier was successful in getting a foot into the sea-air traffic between the Gulf region and Frankfurt-Hahn.

“After having accomplished a number of flights we have to give Frankfurt-Hahn big credit since the handling of goods, customs clearance and the road feeder service offered by truckers at Hahn is just excellent,” lauds Homering in reference to the favorable business conditions offered to ACG at its home-base.

Meanwhile, the list of charter destinations the carrier so far landed is growing. They now include Hong Kong, Macao, Abu Dhabi, Yerevan, Karaganda, Tripoli, and the Canary Islands.