KLM and Kenyan Airlines launch joint China-Africa service
The joint venture between KLM Cargo and Kenya Airways cargo division KQ Cargo will link Kenya’s capital Nairobi to China’s key industrial zone in Guangdong.The Boeing 747-400F cargo freighter, which was unveiled on Tuesday, would operate the Amsterdam-Guangzhou-Nairobi-Lagos-Nairobi-Amsterdam route, with stopovers in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates on its way from Guangzhou to Nairobi.The freighter was expected to significantly boost the airline’s cargo capacity between its growing Asian and African markets while realising higher earnings from cargo as a distinct revenue source, said Kenya Airlines in a statement.
During 2010/11, the airline reported carrying over 56 000 tonnes of cargo and was expected to increase these volumes following the launch of the freighter line.The cargo freighter, which has a 120 tonnes cargo capacity, was the largest aircraft in the airline’s fleet.The wide-body cargo freighter was dubbed the ‘Safari Connection’ and has the slogan ‘Hunting for Business’ in Chinese Mandarin.Kenya Airways planned to introduce 12 wholly owned or leased freighters into its growing fleet over the next ten years to improve the airline’s overall cargo carrying capability and reduce over dependence on the passenger fleet whose belly capacity was limited.
Source: www.engineeringnews.co.za
