Maersk has moved closer to the official start of its air cargo operations after the carrier conducted a ‘demonstrator flight’ between Asia and the US last week.

The test flight left Seoul from Incheon airport en route to Greenville Spartanburg (GSP) in South Carolina. Payload Asia learned that German forwarder Senator International, acquired by Maersk in June, has operated regular charter flights to and from GSP for BMW, which has a production plant in Spartanburg.

Launched in April of this year, Maersk Air Cargo said in August it plans to begin offering daily flights in the second half of the year, with Denmark’s Billund Airport as its primary hub.

It will initially operate three leased B767-300Fs, two of which will arrive in Q4 this year for deployment on flights between Billund and China, and a third one in Q1 of next year, according to The Loadstar. Provision has also been made for three new 767-300Fs to fly US-China routes by Miami-based Amerijet. Two will be deployed in Q3 and one in Q4 2022. The airline also has an order for two B777 freighters, to be delivered in Q1 of 2024.