Korean Air expands Cargo Service in Europe

Korean Air is aggressively expanding its European cargo network by launching services to Vienna, Austria and Oslo, Norway.

On March 29, the Incheon~New York (JFK) return route was adjusted to add Oslo, Norway. The transpacific cargo flights departing from Incheon make stopovers at Anchorage and New York before crossing the Atlantic and reaching Oslo. A B747-400F is used on the modified weekly route. Shipments from Oslo are mostly comprised of Norwegian salmons and shipbuilding machinery. 

On March 31, Korean Air started another weekly flight to Dubai in addition to its weekly charter flight already in operation. The flight makes a stopover at Mumbai before reaching Dubai and returns to Incheon via Bangkok.

On April 18, Korean Air began cargo service to Vienna, Austria in Eastern Europe. One weekly flight, using B747-400F, operates every Sunday. The direct Incheon~Vienna flight returns via Brussels.

As the world economy is picking up and international cargo market is showing growth, Korean Air Cargo has managed to record more than 25% jump in traffic on European routes during the first two months of this year in the midst of strong competition among different carriers.

In addition to the positive results in Europe routes, Korean Air also benefited from the growth of new markets such as China and India.

An increasing number of Korean companies are now exporting more goods such as cellular phones, semi-conductors, and LCD panels. Korean Air Cargo’s expansion is a part of its plan to maintain a dominant position in the international cargo market.

Korean Air has consistently ranked among the world’s top three commercial cargo carriers and it plans to be the world’s number 1 cargo airline by 2007. In doing so, Korean Air is continuing its long-term fleet plan to simplify the types of aircraft by unifying to larger freighter jets such as new state-of-the-art B747-400ERFs. In addition, the company also plans to work more closely with its SkyTeam Cargo counterparts to maximize the synergies the cargo alliance creates.

“The outlook for the remaining part of the year may not be all that optimistic considering some of the adverse factors including the hikes of fuel prices. However, we anticipate this year to be a better year than what we’ve just had, and we are already seeing some jump in traffic on key routes,” said Korean Air Cargo President Ken Choi.

“We are continuously striving to achieve maximum amount of efficiency in all areas of our operation by consistently introducing new innovative products that can meet and exceed our customers’ expectations. We will also develop new routes and markets in China, India, and Europe as well as maintain our already strong presence in trans-Pacific market.” He then added, “Europe is a very crucial market for us and we are looking to further broaden our network.”