SINGAPORE AIRLINES CAR GO AWARDED ITS ‘WINGS’

Singapore Airlines Cargo Pte Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore Airlines Ltd, today received its Air Operator Certificate (AOC). This is in preparation for its operations as a separate all-cargo airline from July 2001.

Director General Wong Woon Liong of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore presented the AOC to Michael Tan, Chairman of Singapore Airlines Cargo Pte Ltd, in a ceremony at the CAAS Auditorium.

Mr Tan said it was a very special day for Singapore Airlines Cargo and for the Singapore air cargo industry as a whole.

“It is an important milestone and marks the coming of age of Singapore Airlines Cargo.”

Mr Tan said the current slowdown in the cargo market had not affected the company’s confidence in the cargo industry in the future.

Mr Tan thanked CAAS for guiding SIA Cargo through the AOC approval process.

“The CAAS sets rigorous world-class standards in approving AOC applications, and rightly so. The AOC bestows on Singapore Airlines Cargo huge responsibility in key matters of safety and service quality. We are committed to these values and to ensuring that we in Singapore Airlines Cargo and Changi Airport continue to grow steadily in an ever-competitive industry.”

From a modest beginning of one freighter in 1988, SIA Cargo now has nine B747-400 freighters, known as Mega Arks, with another eight on firm order.

Together with the capacity of Singapore Airlines’ passenger aircraft, SIA Cargo’s capacity is projected to grow at about ten percent annually for the next five years.

SIA is ranked by IATA as the world’s third largest air cargo carrier in terms of the number of international freight tonne kilometres flown, operating more than 600 flights per week from Singapore Changi Airport to 73 cities around the world.

Complementing this vast network, SIA Cargo offers key competencies ranging from transporting horses to Formula One racing cars, and express products – Swiftrider and Timerider. The latest product, Coolrider, designed for the transportation of temperature-sensitive cargo, was added in July 2000.

SIA Cargo was named “Best Air Cargo Carrier Asia” for the eighth consecutive year, as well as “Best Global Air Carrier”, at the 15th Asian Freight Industry Awards (AFIA) 2000.