Cathay Pacific freighter service between Kolkata and Hong Kong

The Cathay Pacific Airways will launch its new twice-weekly freighter service between Hong Kong and Kolkata tomorrow to boost export-import in the region.
Announcing the launch of its non-stop freighter service between Kolkata and Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific General Manager, South Asia, Middle East and Africa, Charlie Stewart-Cox told a press conference here that the service would be operated by a Boeing B747-400F aircraft with a capacity of 100 tonnes on Thursdays and Sundays.
Initially the airline had targetted 30 tonnes of cargo each day from Kolkata, as the rest would be booked from Delhi. Originating in Hong Kong, the flight would reach Kolkata via Delhi before its return to the hub at Hong Kong.

With this, Kolkata would be the airline's sixth freighter destination in India along with Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad, he said.
With the addition of Kolkata, the Cathay Pacific Group would now have 25 freighter departures each week from India, Stewart-Cox said.
"Kolkata is a growing market with a hub of manufacturing and engineering industry. The service will provide a lot of opportunity to the exporters for sending their produce to 202 destinations around the world through the airlines' hub in Hong Kong," Stewart-Cox said.

Speaking on the occasion, the airlines Regional Cargo Manager, South Asia, Middle East and Africa, Anand Yedery said the inaugural cargo flight would leave the NSC Bose International Airport at 0225 hrs tomorrow for Hong Kong directly.

On Sundays the cargo flight would leave the city airport at 0055 hours for Hong Kong directly.
With its 21 per cent market share globally, the airline enjoys about 29 per cent of Indian market, Stewart-Cox said adding, they carried 56 per cent of its total cargo in passenger flights and 44 per cent in cargo flights.
Cathway Pacific's sister airline Dragonair operates passenger airlines from Kolkata to Hong Kong five days a week.