Fuelled by a 10 per cent annual growth rate, China’s flourishing air cargo industry will need nearly 570 freighters in service by 2026 – a full 10 fold increase over current fl eet capacity - according to the China Aviation Industry Corporation I (AVIC I). According to AVIC I cargo airlines in China operated a total of 46 dedicated freighters at the end of 2006. “China’s air cargo market will maintain an annual growth rate of 10.5 per cent in the next two decades, … [Read more...] about CHINA: China’s rosy future freighter demand

Qantas Airways Ltd has set up a separate company to hold its freight assets and is in talks about acquisitions for the business, the carrier’s chief executive Geoff Dixon was quoted as saying according to a report in TheSydney Morning Herald. “We have established a separate company already to hold these assets,” Dixon told the Merrill Lynch Australia Investment Conference in New York recently. “There really are opportunities for us to do something different with … [Read more...] about AUSTRALIA: Qantas separates freight assets

Australian air Express (AaE) International has begun operations at its new freight handling facility in Melbourne. The state-of-the-art facility comprises a 4,250 sqm warehouse, offi ce and operational accommodation and improved facilities for client airlines and visitors. The facility also includes an enhanced truck parking and manoeuvrability area, bypass lanes, cool rooms and ULD storage. … [Read more...] about AUSTRALIA: New Melbourne freight facility

Chile and India have signed a new open skies agreement allowing “unlimited cargo services between the two countries using any type of aircraft with full traffi c rights to, from or via any intermediary”. The agreement supersedes a previous agreement which although creating a liberalised environment, imposed certain restrictions. Chilean Civil Aeronautic Council (JAC) secretary general, Jorge Frei, highlighted the signifi cance of the newly refined tie-up: “We’re … [Read more...] about AMERICAS: ‘Open Skies’ for Chile and India cargo

Continental Airlines will begin new non-stop Boeing 777-200 service from its New York area hub at Newark Liberty International Airport to Mumbai, India on October 1. This new service will compliment Continental’s existing non-stop service from Newark toDelhi. “Mumbai is the largest trans-Atlantic market not currently served by Continental and offers signifi cant opportunities for growth in the future,” said Jim Compton, Continental’s executive … [Read more...] about AMERICAS: Continental to Mumbai

A report by the inspector general of the US Homeland Security Department savaged the US Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) programme for keeping bombs out of aircraft cargoholds. The report by Inspector General Richard Skinner said the TSA’s system“increases the opportunities (to put)explosives, incendiaries and other dangerousdevices on passenger aircraft.” The TSA “does not provide suffi cient resources” to monitor airlines and … [Read more...] about AMERICAS: Scathing assessment of TSA security