Singapore Airlines Cargo To Start Direct Freighter Services Between China And The U.S.

Singapore Airlines Cargo is planning to start direct services between China and the United States from April 2003.

Three times a week, Boeing 747-400 freighters with a 110-tonne capacity will fly from Singapore to Xiamen and Nanjing, then on to Chicago. SIA Cargo’s new services are the result of a recently concluded Air Services Agreement between Singapore and China, and will utilize the additional capacity made available by the delivery of SIA’s 12th B747-400 freighter.

Two of these flights will then go on to Brussels and Copenhagen respectively, before returning to Singapore via Sharjah, with the third returning from Chicago via Nanjing. In addition, a flight from Los Angeles will be rerouted to provide a second weekly Nanjing-Singapore service.

“We are very excited about these new services”, said Mr Hwang Teng Aun, President of Singapore Airlines Cargo. “They will link two of China’s rapidly growing business and manufacturing centers with key markets in the US”, he added.

Singapore Airlines Cargo already operates four weekly freighter services between Shanghai and Singapore, and bellyhold capacity on Singapore Airlines’ 42 weekly flights to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

Singapore Airlines Cargo, a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, operates two dedicated B747-400 freighter services weekly between Auckland and Singapore, in addition to the bellyhold capacity on Singapore Airlines’ daily 747 passenger services from Auckland and five weekly services from Christchurch to Singapore.