Bruce Barnard, Special Correspondent | Sep 12, 2012 10:49AM EDT
Air Cargo Germany is adding two 747-400 extended range freighters to its fleet and boosting frequencies on services to the U.S., Mexico and China as rival carriers shrink their operations in response to subdued demand in the global air cargo market.
The carrier, based at Frankfurt-Hahn airport, is taking over the two extended-range aircraft from its 49 percent stakeholder Russia’s Air Bridge Cargo.
The planes will join four 747-400SFs in ACG’s fleet in October.
The extended range aircraft will enhance ACG’s range and market options and help the carrier to achieve its target of annual revenues of 430 million euros [$545 million] from around $292 million in 2011, said CEO Michael Bock.
Separately, ACG announced it will add Beijing to its network, offering three weekly round trips commencing in October.
In addition, Chicago will be upped from two to three flights per week and Mexico from one to two weekly flights.
The carrier also plans to start service in the near future, Bock said.
Air Bridge Cargo has stopped flying between Europe and North America entirely by letting ACG taking over its traffic. “We’ve signed an interline agreement with ABC for enabling easy transfers of shipments in Moscow and Frankfurt,” Bock said.
ACG said its overall load factor has averaged 80.4 percent in 2012, including both line-haul and charter traffic.
The carrier will return two of its 747-400SFs to lessor Amsterdam-based Martinar next year and replace them with two younger 747s.
Contact Bruce Barnard at brucebarnard47@hotmail.com.