Guv,
what are you talking about? A300 and DC8 cannot be compared. A300 is ideal to operate short hops in Europe, providing the volume. Express operators were hunting for volume, not for payload. And even not express operators but forwarders. I think Cargo Lions guys remember the moment when their 8-62 was changed for A300 on one of the european routes, becuase due to volume restrictions diesel-8 was carrying around 25-27 tons only.
From the other side, A300 operators never tried to secure LHR-HKG contracts. It is absolutely different business.