Cathay Pacific Airways will boost its freighter services in Canada with a new twice-weekly scheduled service to Calgary beginning Oct. 17.
The Calgary service will be operated with Boeing 747-8 freighters, which will fly machinery and perishables from Calgary to Hong Kong to connect with Cathay Pacific’s Asian network. Both the Tuesday and Friday services will operate on a Hong Kong-Anchorage-New York (JFK)-Calgary-Hong Kong routing, with an additional Columbus tag for the Friday flight.
“We are excited about strengthening our already extensive freighter network in North America and believe this new service to Calgary will further facilitate the efficient flow of goods between Canada and Asia,” James Woodrow, Cathay Pacific director cargo, said. “We will be operating our largest and most technologically advanced commercial freighter, the Boeing 747-8F, into Calgary and connecting freight through our new cargo terminal in Hong Kong onto our wider Asian network. We will now be able to provide one of the fastest and most convenient ways to move time-sensitive freight from the Central Canada region, cutting down on time spent in transit, resulting in reduced handling costs for our customers.”
This latest addition brings Cathay Pacific’s total number of North American freighter destinations to 14.
“We are pleased that Cathay Pacific Cargo has selected Calgary to be its newest Canadian partner,” said Stephan Poirier, Calgary Airport Authority senior vice president and chief commercial officer. “We’ve invested extensively in Calgary’s cargo infrastructure over the last 15 years, strategically positioning the airport for airlines such as Cathay Pacific to enter into Calgary’s market, completing our vision of linking Alberta’s businesses to Asia. As one of only two Canadian airports with non-stop freighter services to Europe and Asia, Calgary continues to be a place where people, places and business connect.”