Reasons to celebrate on 19SEP24, since that is the day Air France KLM Martinair Cargo resumes a regular Boeing 747-400ERF or BCF freighter service to Hong Kong (HKG) after an absence of nearly nine years. The flight, operated by Martinair, will take off from Amsterdam (AMS), travelling to HKG via Dubai (DWC), initially three times a week. Come the winter flight plan (27OCT24), the service will be increased to four times per week. Operating days eastbound will be Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. The return flights ex Hong Kong will take off on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Each flight will offer a capacity of 110 tons, and the airline advertises “seamless cargo movement across key international hubs and offering a wide range of onward connections to the Americas and Africa via our Amsterdam Schiphol hub”.
It speaks of “unparalleled flexibility across the routes AMS/DWC, AMS/HKG, and DWC/HKG, as well as return flights from HKG/DWC, HKG/AMS, and DWC/AMS” and a stronger freighter footprint in Asia. The new additions complement the existing services from Paris (CDG) to Mumbai (BOM) and Beijing (PEK).
In the same release, the airline group announces the suspension of some of its Latin American services, but ensures that its thrice-weekly freighter flights to Bogotá (BOG) via Miami (MIA), remain unaffected: We reported exclusively.
Adriaan den Heijer, EVP Cargo at Air France-KLM and Managing Director Martinair, stated: “In the East Asian market, the e-commerce segment is growing steadily, driving increased demand for efficient and reliable air freight solutions. The introduction of this new Boeing 747 freighter service is a crucial step in adding main deck capacity to our extensive belly network. This expansion not only strengthens our freighter footprint in Asia but also offers more options and greater flexibility to our customers. By enhancing our connectivity and broadening our reach, we are better positioned to support the growth and evolving needs of our global customer base.”
