newstodate.aero
Sep 09, 2016 (newstodate): In Lithuania, much attention in the aviation industry is now focusing on the launch of new China-Lithuania freighter flights scheduled to lift off on September 15, 2016.
Behind the twice-weekly Tianjin-Kaunas-Tianjin operation with a Boeing 747-300 freighter from the Belarus cargo carrier TransAviaExpress is the logistics and transport company Hoptrans.
Kaunas Airport has earlier played a significant role as a transfer point for shipments by air of ex-China exports destined for Russia and trucked from the airport across the border to final destinations.
Hoptrans has also rich experience to back the coming new venture, having managed regular charter freighter traffic into Kaunas from Shanghai for a period of 18 months until five years ago.
The new freighter traffic is also warmly welcomed by Gediminas Almantas, CEO at Lithuanian Airports that consolidates the management of the country's three international airports.
-This is indeed a great achievement for Kaunas Airport. Air cargo is always a challenge for an airport. We may have the best infrastructure to handling of such traffic, but it still depends on operators' ability to build up and manage a sustainable and profitable cargo traffic, says Mr Almantas.
-In itself, Lithuania is only a small market and return cargo has always been a crucial issue. The real game changer here is Hoptrans' success in attracting not only Lithuanian, but regional exporters to generate loads on the return flights to China, and this has indeed provided the hitherto missing link in the equation.
-As Hoptrans is also a major provider of trucking services they have the ability to control and support the entire supply chain, and this bodes well for the success of the coming new freighter service, says Mr Almantas.
Behind the twice-weekly Tianjin-Kaunas-Tianjin operation with a Boeing 747-300 freighter from the Belarus cargo carrier TransAviaExpress is the logistics and transport company Hoptrans.
Kaunas Airport has earlier played a significant role as a transfer point for shipments by air of ex-China exports destined for Russia and trucked from the airport across the border to final destinations.
Hoptrans has also rich experience to back the coming new venture, having managed regular charter freighter traffic into Kaunas from Shanghai for a period of 18 months until five years ago.
The new freighter traffic is also warmly welcomed by Gediminas Almantas, CEO at Lithuanian Airports that consolidates the management of the country's three international airports.
-This is indeed a great achievement for Kaunas Airport. Air cargo is always a challenge for an airport. We may have the best infrastructure to handling of such traffic, but it still depends on operators' ability to build up and manage a sustainable and profitable cargo traffic, says Mr Almantas.
-In itself, Lithuania is only a small market and return cargo has always been a crucial issue. The real game changer here is Hoptrans' success in attracting not only Lithuanian, but regional exporters to generate loads on the return flights to China, and this has indeed provided the hitherto missing link in the equation.
-As Hoptrans is also a major provider of trucking services they have the ability to control and support the entire supply chain, and this bodes well for the success of the coming new freighter service, says Mr Almantas.