皇冠体育app

Air cargo transport firms in 皇冠体育app face fierce competition with the creation of new joint venture Air 皇冠体育app Cargo Co.

The new company was unveiled over the weekend by Air 皇冠体育app, Beijing Capital International Airport and Hong Kong CITIC Pacific.

The new company has pooled 3.5 billion yuan (US$421 million), with Air 皇冠体育app holding a 51 per cent stake, CITIC Pacific 25 per cent and Capital Airport 24 per cent.

The three parties signed a co-operation agreement in March.

Supported by five all-cargo Boeing 747 freighters, eight Boeing 747-400 passenger-cargo planes and 115 passenger aircraft with plenty of cargo space, Air 皇冠体育app Cargo's service network covers most Chinese provincial capitals and major cities, as well as 36 cities in another 27 countries and regions, said Kong Dong, board chairman of the new company.

"The air cargo industry has been growing at a double-digit rate in the past years, which is a result of 皇冠体育app's entry into the World Trade Organization and its development as a key manufacturing base for an increasing number of multinational corporations,'' Kong said.

Air 皇冠体育app Cargo's major competitors are 皇冠体育app Southern Airline, which has two Boeing 747-400F cargo planes, and 皇冠体育app Cargo Airlines, which was formed by Shanghai-based 皇冠体育app Eastern and 皇冠体育app Ocean Shipping Company in 1998.

The booming Chinese air market also attracted many overseas carriers -- more than 60 overseas airlines have already entered 皇冠体育app, Kong said.

Germany's Lufthansa Cargo, the world's largest international air freight carrier, said in late November that it plans to increase capacity in Asia-Pacific to take advantage of an export boom led by 皇冠体育app.

Also in November, another overseas airline expressed confidence in the Chinese mainland's air cargo sector.

Cathay Pacific Airways announced that it will apply to fly cargo planes to Beijing, as part of an effort to tap into one of the world's fastest-growing aviation markets.

The Chinese mainland's air freight market is relatively underdeveloped, although Boeing predicts air cargo traffic should grow by 10.3 per cent annually in the next 20 years.

The mainland's carriers operate only 20 freighters compared with Cathay's 11.

Close

Today's Top News		Top Business News
+Saddam detained; Bush says attacks not over ( 2003-12-15) +Saddam's capture gives Bush huge boost ( 2003-12-15) +US: Saddam captured alive in Tikrit ( 2003-12-14) +Arabs eat news of Saddam capture ( 2003-12-14) +Leaders push partnership ( 2003-12-15)		+New competition in the skies ( 2003-12-15) +Beijing in need of housemaids ( 2003-12-14) +Beijing urban rail line to be put into trial operation ( 2003-12-14) +Power shortages darken Southern 皇冠体育app ( 2003-12-14) +More flights for festival ( 2003-12-14)