ABC starts 2016 off with a bang, eyes global expansion

by Payload Asia

AirBridgeCargo Airlines (ABC) has reported a heady start to 2016 with a 30 per cent year-on-year rise in tonnage in January to 43,605 tonnes of cargo – a record performance and growth for the airline for the first month of the year.

Denis Ilin, ABC’s executive president noted that the company’s rapid expansion has resulted in “diversified network coverage, matched by a high level of service that has helped us to gain the appreciation and trust of our customers in what we do.”

As a result, he said ABC’s clients are asking for direct cargo services to some destinations which  not part of the carrier’s current network and ABC aims to fill this gap by providing a truly global network.

DenisIlinAirBridgeCargoAirlinesExecutivePresident“We see ABC’s further development in creating a really global network and competitive global value proposition for our customers resulting in us delivering high quality air cargo delivery services to new regional markets and new customers.

“We want AirBridgeCargo service to become a common feature that is accepted and recognised in every part of the cargo world. Only through this we will be able to adequately respond to the evolving needs of our clients and the challenges of the global economy,” Ilin said.

The carrier’s strong performance is largely attributed to last year’s dynamic expansion of the carrier’s fleet and network in response to the diverse needs of ABC’s customers worldwide, the carrier said. Newly-launched destinations include Singapore and Hanoi in Asia Pacific, Helsinki in Europe, and Los Angeles and Atlanta in North America, all extending and enhancing ABC’s network.

ABC’s network growth was supported in 2015 by the addition of three more B747 freighters to the airline’s fleet. The overall expansion of its routes and fleet enabled AirBridgeCargo to comfortably enter 2016 with one of the highest FTK growth performances in the industry.

Although Ilin notes 2016 will be “another challenging year,” he said the January results came as a “confirmation of our chosen strategy based on a combination of operating a highly efficient fleet, network expansion to the points of production and consumption, and a high level of service quality delivered by a team of skilled air cargo professionals.

“We will continue this path in 2016, offering to our customers the maximum range of services using the unique capabilities of our 747 freighters.”