In The News...
Globe Air Cargo, is the new GSA in France for ANA as the airline boosts its
cargo capacity between Paris and Tokyo’s Narita airport by over 30 percent
with additional B777 flights...DHL has won a contract to distribute Madison
Components to customers based in the Asia Pacific region and throughout
Europe. Madison supplies passive electronic components to original equipment
and contract electronic manufacturers and is thus a leading indicator of economic activity in the computer industry...FedEx Express has launched a next-business-day service connecting mainland China, Hong Kong and Singapore
with France and Germany. The new service covers International Priority shipments that originate from Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore destined for
Frankfurt, Cologne and Paris, from Monday to Thursday. “The Asia-to-Europe
service reflects our continued confidence in supporting this trade lane by providing businesses in Asia with more efficient access to markets in Europe and
opening doors for new business opportunities,” said David L. Cunningham Jr.,
president, Asia Pacific, FedEx Express. The Asia-to-Europe air cargo market is
expected to expand at an average annual rate of 6. 5 percent in the next two
decades, FedEx said. The company’s latest offering is part of an ongoing effort
to strengthen its Asia-Europe connection. In February 2009, FedEx opened its
Asia Pacific hub in Guangzhou, offering better access to businesses in Asia by
connecting the region with Europe via the FedEx Euro One network...Aviation
authorities in Vietnam have granted Trai Thien Air Cargo a license to provide
air cargo services in the country, according to Vietnamese press reports. The carrier, which is expected to begin operations
early next year, would become the first
cargo airline in the country. Trai Thien Air
Cargo will initially provide services within
the country using a Boeing 737-300F aircraft, according to the reports. The company plans to add four new aircraft to its
fleet and then expand service to Northeast and Southeast Asia, according to the
reports. The private airline, with charter
capital of $28 million, reportedly received
approval from Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung last month. Government officials admitted that demand for air cargo is relatively low but have
encouraged development of the cargo sector there for some time, the reports
said...Cathay Pacific Airways’ Chief Executive Tony Tyler remains “cautious”
about the prospects of the aviation industry seeing any sustained pick-up in
the near future. Speaking last month at the Aviation Club in London, Tyler said
that while it is true that people in some parts of the world are talking about
the green shoots of recovery, “we are not seeing much of that kind of plant life
ourselves.” Acknowledging that Cathay Pacific and other airlines have seen
stabilization in the big drops in cargo and passenger numbers witnessed up to
the summer months of 2009, Tyler wonders whether this is seasonal or structural. “This is traditionally a good time for us on both the premium passenger
and freight fronts. And we are seeing that this year. But whether it heralds
a return to greener pastures remains to be seen. We’ll have a better idea by
the end of the year”...Boeing, Shanghai Airport Authority and Shanghai
Airlines celebrated the opening of a
two-bay hangar in October at their
joint venture, Boeing Shanghai
Aviation Services Co., Ltd. Located
at Shanghai Pudong Airport, the
hangar is part of the venture’s plan to
become an aviation services leader in
China. “Boeing Shanghai’s increasing
capabilities will provide our Chinese
airline customers and the international
market the services that will help them
expand safely and efficiently,” said Lou
Mancini, senior vice president, Com-
mercial Aviation Services, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. He added, “China and
Asia are the global leaders in aviation growth, and the newly expanded facility
provides an incredible opportunity to support these expanding fleets throughout their life cycle.” Established in June 2006, Boeing Shanghai maintains and
modifies Boeing 737 aircraft from regional and international airlines as well as
from domestic Chinese airlines. Plans call for the MRO to expand its offerings
to widebody aircraft and passenger-to-freighter conversions...South Korea’s
Incheon International Airport, one of Asia’s most popular gateways, may be
privatized soon, according to international press reports. As part of its plans
to advance state-run enterprises, the Lee Myung-bak government is moving
to privatize the Incheon hub by putting up for sale 49 percent of its stake, the
reports said. However, opposition lawmakers expressed immediate concern
that the government, which is anxious to rein in its budget deficit, would accept 50 cents on the dollar for the country’s most profitable airport, the reports
said. In announcing its budget for next year, the Ministry of Land, Transport and
Maritime Affairs said it expects to earn $504 million by selling a portion of its
shares in the airport. Since 2005, Incheon has been rated the best airport in
the world by the Airports Council International, according to the reports.
It has also received the full 5-star ranking by Skytrax, a recognition shared
only by the Hong Kong International Airport and Singapore’s Changi
Airport...ACW
