newstodate.aero
Sep 12, 2012 (newstodate): The Lithuanian logistics company Hoptrans is keen to revitalize its freighter service with ex-China shipments via Kaunas Airport for onward trucking on an inter-European network - but still takes a cautious view.
-We are seeing this traffic coming back and are working hard to promote this business, but the traffic is still on an ad-hoc basis only, says Dalia Ciutaite, Hoptrans managing director.
-The market is still soft while hopes are that traffic will pick up again as get deeper into the autumn season and closer to Christmas.
-We maintain hopes for a revival of the Shanghai-Kaunas freighter service on a regular, scheduled basis, and we have invested in an expansion of our truck fleet to support this traffic. In the meantime we are happy to see the ad-hoc traffic with IL-62 aircraft going up, says Ms Ciutaite.
By the end of September 2010, Hoptrans launched its weekly IL-96-400T freighter flight operated by Polet Airlines from Shanghai to Kaunas Airport.
From April 2, 2011, Polet Airlines was replaced by Jade Cargo with a weekly Boeing 747-400F flight from Shanghai for Hoptrans and Agility in Lithuania, and from June 18, 2011, Lufthansa Cargo Lufthansa Cargo took over the flight from Kaunas Airport to Frankfurt, extending to Bombay, India.
The Jade Cargo flights were, however, suspended shortly before Christmas 2011 and died away with the demise of the Shenzhen-based carrier.
-We are seeing this traffic coming back and are working hard to promote this business, but the traffic is still on an ad-hoc basis only, says Dalia Ciutaite, Hoptrans managing director.
-The market is still soft while hopes are that traffic will pick up again as get deeper into the autumn season and closer to Christmas.
-We maintain hopes for a revival of the Shanghai-Kaunas freighter service on a regular, scheduled basis, and we have invested in an expansion of our truck fleet to support this traffic. In the meantime we are happy to see the ad-hoc traffic with IL-62 aircraft going up, says Ms Ciutaite.
By the end of September 2010, Hoptrans launched its weekly IL-96-400T freighter flight operated by Polet Airlines from Shanghai to Kaunas Airport.
From April 2, 2011, Polet Airlines was replaced by Jade Cargo with a weekly Boeing 747-400F flight from Shanghai for Hoptrans and Agility in Lithuania, and from June 18, 2011, Lufthansa Cargo Lufthansa Cargo took over the flight from Kaunas Airport to Frankfurt, extending to Bombay, India.
The Jade Cargo flights were, however, suspended shortly before Christmas 2011 and died away with the demise of the Shenzhen-based carrier.