International air freight company Air France KLM launches new cargo flights to Hong Kong
Air France KLMP launched a new cargo flight to Hong Kong last week, marking the ninth anniversary of multiple airlines shifting their capacity to the Asia Pacific market to capitalize on strong
cargo demand.
The flight is operated by Martinair on behalf of KLM and travels between Schiphol and Hong Kong, using a 110 ton capacity Boeing 747-400 freighter.
The service initially operated 3 times a week, and then increased to 4 times a week when the winter season began on October 27th.
The company stated in a LinkedIn post, "This arrival marks our return to Hong Kong Airlines for cargo operations after a nine-year hiatus and is an important milestone in our operations
To commemorate this moment, a ceremony was held with the participation of different delegations, including clients, airport authorities, ground service agent representatives, and colleagues,
who gathered together to celebrate this significant event
AFKLMP announced its return to Hong Kong in July, noting that the e-commerce market outside of East Asia is steadily growing.
Due to the addition of new flights in Hong Kong, some cargo services to Latin America will be temporarily suspended.
This airline is not the only one increasing its capacity in the Asian market. Qatar Cargo, Lufthansa Cargo, and CMA CGM are all increasing their capacity.
According to statistics from data provider and consultant Rotate, the cargo shipping capacity from Asia to North America increased by 12% year-on-year in August.
The freight capacity from Asia to Europe has increased by 5% compared to last year,and the freight capacity to the Middle East has increased by 28%.
In contrast, the capacity of transatlantic cargo ships has been declining. From South America to Europe, there was a year-on-year decrease of 16%, and vice versa, there was a decrease of 9%.
The freight capacity from North America to Europe decreased by 7% year-on-year, and the freight capacity from Europe to North America decreased by 14% year-on-year.
When Qatar Cargo announced plans to increase its Asian shipping capacity, it stated that it would reduce its shipping capacity to South America.
Qatar Cargo has announced that it will suspend 777 freighter services to Santiago and Veracruz starting from September.
The company stated that these two radio stations will continue to receive support through partnerships and alliances with other operators.
Freight flights to Bogota, Quito, and Guarulhos will continue to operate as planned.
Meanwhile, the number of cargo flights to India, China, Vietnam, and Europe will also increase.
According to reports, Cargolux has also increased its capacity in the Asian region, but declined to comment in an interview with Air Cargo News.
Earlier this month, Lufthansa Cargo announced that it will launch its first direct flight service from Asia to the United States as market demand continues to surge in the region.