newstodate.aero

Sep 30, 2021 (newstodate): The new freighter service between Hong Kong and Riga has come off to a promising start since the first flight on September 18, 2021.
   Today offering one weekly rotation with a Boeing 737-800BCF operated by the Russian carrier Atran Airlines, filling the aircraft on the westbound trip is probably an easy task given the sustained and accelerating growth in the Chinese e-trade exports.
   The challenge will rather be filling up the aircraft on the eastbound flight with shipments from Europe to get as close as possible to a balanced operation.
   This task is entrusted to Kales Airline Services as the GSSA for Venipak in China and Europe, except in the three Baltic markets where Strike Aviation Ltd serves as GSSA.
   When, or if, the freighter service adds a second rotation from mid-October, as already indicated, the situation will improve.
   Among potential commodities to use the new venue may be Norwegian seafood.
   -The Norwegian salmon export is one potential to be considered, and certainly an attractive segment. This will, however, need at least one more rotation, as just one flight from Riga would be too risky for exporters of seafood, Andrius Antanaitis, General Manager at JSC Strike Aviation LT, earlier told newstodate  
   -But with more flights, the Boeing 737-800 freighter from Riga to Hong Kong might be an alternative for Norwegian exporters; the aircraft is fully capable of meeting the requirements, and the route is operated without reloading of shipments and with only one brief technical stop from Riga to Hong Kong.