newstodate.aero
Feb 11, 2011 (newstodate): The Baltic airports' role as transfer points for ex-China shipments destined for Russian importers has come to an end.
Before 2008, the airport of Tallinn in Estonia, Vilnius in Lithuania and Riga in Latvia were constantly fighting for the around 10,000 tonnes that were flown in every year from China on IL-76 aircraft for transfer by trucks into Russia.
Driving this traffic was the complex situation with Russian Customs and the rather unsafe handling situation of cargo at Russian airports, presenting a business case for Baltic airports and logistics providers that could truck the Chinese imports across their borders with a higher level of security and safety.
-These days are gone. The Chinese exports to Russia will never return to the Baltic airports, says Martynas Smitas, Hoptrans Logistics general manager in Lithuania.
-We have ourselves been operating IL-76 flights from China to Kaunas Airport, but this traffic has been stopped as well. Unit costs for cargo on these aircraft are too high, and new venues for this traffic have been opened, also including railroad cargo through Kazakhstan, says Mr Smitas.
Before 2008, the airport of Tallinn in Estonia, Vilnius in Lithuania and Riga in Latvia were constantly fighting for the around 10,000 tonnes that were flown in every year from China on IL-76 aircraft for transfer by trucks into Russia.
Driving this traffic was the complex situation with Russian Customs and the rather unsafe handling situation of cargo at Russian airports, presenting a business case for Baltic airports and logistics providers that could truck the Chinese imports across their borders with a higher level of security and safety.
-These days are gone. The Chinese exports to Russia will never return to the Baltic airports, says Martynas Smitas, Hoptrans Logistics general manager in Lithuania.
-We have ourselves been operating IL-76 flights from China to Kaunas Airport, but this traffic has been stopped as well. Unit costs for cargo on these aircraft are too high, and new venues for this traffic have been opened, also including railroad cargo through Kazakhstan, says Mr Smitas.