Wirraway
2nd Dec 2004, 13:54
Fri "Melbourne Age"
Qantas to load up with freight
By Scott Rochfort
Sydney
December 3, 2004
The airline has finally persuaded itself that there is money in an expanded cargo service.
Qantas will make a bold move into the international cargo arena after applying for rights to fly 747 freighters into South Africa, India and Germany from next month.
The airline confirmed yesterday that it had applied to the International Air Services Commission to operate a weekly freighter service to Johannesburg and a twice-weekly service to Frankfurt through Mumbai, Kazakhstan and Singapore.
"We've been building our international freight network slowly but surely over the last 12 months," said Qantas executive general manager of associated business Denis Adams.
Following the launch of Qantas 747-400 freighter services to Chicago through Shanghai and Singapore in February, Mr Adams said Qantas hoped its 49 per cent-owned Thai Air Cargo would begin intra-Asian freighter services early next year.
Mr Adams said Qantas's hesitant move into operating more freighter services was the coming together of a few things.
"We had to convince ourselves we could make money out of it," he said, also noting the recent granting of additional traffic rights into Asia for the move.
The International Air Transport Association reported recently that world air cargo volumes had increased 14 per cent in the first 10 months of the year.
But Qantas has shied away from taking the lead from other key carriers in the region that own their own freighters, such as Singapore Air and Korean Air.
Qantas will continue to wet lease freighters and crews from the US-based Atlas Air.
"We're growing our involvement in it at the moment and we want to be sure that there are good returns in this business in the long term," Mr Adams said.
He said the move to freighters was also prompted by Qantas having the disadvantage on its long-haul routes of not being able to carry full loads of cargo in its passenger aircraft.
At present freighters only carry about 10 per cent of the air freight from Australia; the rest is carried in passenger aircraft.
The chief executive officer of the Air Freight Export Council of NSW, Malcolm Bush, said the Qantas move would be welcome news for Australian exporters, especially those exporting into Europe.
At present, Mr Bush said, many exporters to Europe, especially those of perishable goods, were disadvantaged by often having their goods offloaded at ports in Asia.
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Qantas to load up with freight
By Scott Rochfort
Sydney
December 3, 2004
The airline has finally persuaded itself that there is money in an expanded cargo service.
Qantas will make a bold move into the international cargo arena after applying for rights to fly 747 freighters into South Africa, India and Germany from next month.
The airline confirmed yesterday that it had applied to the International Air Services Commission to operate a weekly freighter service to Johannesburg and a twice-weekly service to Frankfurt through Mumbai, Kazakhstan and Singapore.
"We've been building our international freight network slowly but surely over the last 12 months," said Qantas executive general manager of associated business Denis Adams.
Following the launch of Qantas 747-400 freighter services to Chicago through Shanghai and Singapore in February, Mr Adams said Qantas hoped its 49 per cent-owned Thai Air Cargo would begin intra-Asian freighter services early next year.
Mr Adams said Qantas's hesitant move into operating more freighter services was the coming together of a few things.
"We had to convince ourselves we could make money out of it," he said, also noting the recent granting of additional traffic rights into Asia for the move.
The International Air Transport Association reported recently that world air cargo volumes had increased 14 per cent in the first 10 months of the year.
But Qantas has shied away from taking the lead from other key carriers in the region that own their own freighters, such as Singapore Air and Korean Air.
Qantas will continue to wet lease freighters and crews from the US-based Atlas Air.
"We're growing our involvement in it at the moment and we want to be sure that there are good returns in this business in the long term," Mr Adams said.
He said the move to freighters was also prompted by Qantas having the disadvantage on its long-haul routes of not being able to carry full loads of cargo in its passenger aircraft.
At present freighters only carry about 10 per cent of the air freight from Australia; the rest is carried in passenger aircraft.
The chief executive officer of the Air Freight Export Council of NSW, Malcolm Bush, said the Qantas move would be welcome news for Australian exporters, especially those exporting into Europe.
At present, Mr Bush said, many exporters to Europe, especially those of perishable goods, were disadvantaged by often having their goods offloaded at ports in Asia.
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