newstodate.aero
Sep 22, 2016 (newstodate): Down from about 10,000 tonnes in the late 90ies to only about 2,000 tonnes in the last few years, air cargo is still a priority in the strategy of Lithuania's Kaunas Airport.
Prior to the global economic crisis, the airport served as an efficient transfer hub for primarily ex-China exports to Russia, but as this role was lost volumes shrank to current levels.
-We are, however, keen to develop our cargo business, and air cargo is definitely a major part of our strategy, says Bruno Kaspar, Kaunas Airport general manager.
-The airport infrastructure is well-developed to handling of all aircraft types excluding the Airbus A380; our airport offers ground handling services at low costs; and our geographical location offers savings in flying times by two to three hours per rotation on flights between Kaunas and airports in Asia, including China.
-Add to this the finely-tuned logistics and ground transportation services by Hoptrans, also located at the airport, and deliveries from Kaunas to points in Northern Europe can be made within one or 1.5 days from landing at Kaunas Airport, which is a further competitive asset.
-Looking slightly ahead, we can also benefit from being only some 200 meters away from the coming Baltic Rail system and the free zone area allowing for multi-modal cargo solutions.
-We are keen to continue developing the airport according to new business opportunities, including handling of perishables, in cooperation with partners. I am convinced that if an attractive business case is presented, we can secure the financing of the required infrastructure elements to exploit our potentials, says Mr Kaspar.
Now in the agenda is the forthcoming launch of the twice-weekly freighter service between Tianjin and Kaunas, as conceived and managed by Hoptrans, which will immediately boost the cargo volumes at the airport.
Prior to the global economic crisis, the airport served as an efficient transfer hub for primarily ex-China exports to Russia, but as this role was lost volumes shrank to current levels.
-We are, however, keen to develop our cargo business, and air cargo is definitely a major part of our strategy, says Bruno Kaspar, Kaunas Airport general manager.
-The airport infrastructure is well-developed to handling of all aircraft types excluding the Airbus A380; our airport offers ground handling services at low costs; and our geographical location offers savings in flying times by two to three hours per rotation on flights between Kaunas and airports in Asia, including China.
-Add to this the finely-tuned logistics and ground transportation services by Hoptrans, also located at the airport, and deliveries from Kaunas to points in Northern Europe can be made within one or 1.5 days from landing at Kaunas Airport, which is a further competitive asset.
-Looking slightly ahead, we can also benefit from being only some 200 meters away from the coming Baltic Rail system and the free zone area allowing for multi-modal cargo solutions.
-We are keen to continue developing the airport according to new business opportunities, including handling of perishables, in cooperation with partners. I am convinced that if an attractive business case is presented, we can secure the financing of the required infrastructure elements to exploit our potentials, says Mr Kaspar.
Now in the agenda is the forthcoming launch of the twice-weekly freighter service between Tianjin and Kaunas, as conceived and managed by Hoptrans, which will immediately boost the cargo volumes at the airport.