Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways announced an expansion of its freighter services in the Americas with the addition of a scheduled service twice a week to Portland in Oregon, U.S. from November.
The new flight is scheduled to commence November 3, 2016, subject to government approval. Portland will be Cathay Pacific’s 18th cargo station in the Americas.
The new service will operate on a Hong Kong-Anchorage-Los Angeles-Portland-Anchorage-Hong Kong routing every Thursday and Saturday, using Cathay Pacific’s newest and biggest freighter, the Boeing 747-8F.
The service aims to offer freight service to shippers delivering a wide range of commodities from the Pacific Northwest and the U.S. to various parts of Asia.
“The Boeing 747-8F aircraft offers more cargo space to carry the anticipated high volumes of semi-finished footwear and apparel, electronics, and perishables from Portland and its catchment area into Asia. Portland is also one of the fast growing hubs for e-Commerce related shipments for the Pacific Northwest region,” said a company statement.
Cathay Pacific was the first Asia-Pacific airline to take delivery of the Boeing 747-8F in 2011 and currently has 13 of this aircraft type in its cargo fleet. The Boeing 747-8F uses innovative technologies to bring about significant efficiency improvements to the airline’s ultra long-haul freighter services, particularly on North American routes, and at the same time reduce the environmental impact of its operations.
Photo: Axcordion
