Mike King, Special Correspondent | May 16, 2012 9:33AM EDT
Cargolux Airlines International has started a twice-weekly freighter service linking Luxembourg to the booming Chinese interior city of Chongqing.
Schedules also take in stops at Doha, Sharjah, Baku, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Tbilisi.
“We see a lot of potential in Chongqing, not least because of the planned expansion of the airport’s cargo facilities to accommodate the region’s burgeoning export market,’ said Frank Reimen, Cargolux president and CEO.
Over the last year Lufthansa, Cathay Pacific and Qantas have all started new freighter services to the thriving city, which has rapidly developed into a global center for the electronic, automotive, chemical and pharmaceutical industries.
Cargolux reported a net loss of $18.3 million in 2011 from a $59.8 million profit in 2010, with Asian shipments down by 15.4 percent year-over-year. The operator took delivery of the third of 13 747-8 freighters on order in March, taking its fleet to 15 Boeing freighters.
Contact Mike King at michael@borderline.eu.com.