Saudia Cargo expands global network
Saudia Cargo is increasing its belly and freighter capacity on a number of routes across its global network.
In its scheduled freighter service network, the cargo airline will add one additional flight per week from Guangzhou to Brussels, bringing the total number of weekly flights to three; one additional flight per week from Dhaka to Brussels, bringing the total number of weekly flights to five; and two additional flights per week from Nairobi to Amsterdam, resulting in a daily service.
A number of these routes will benefit from service upgrades, with B747-400Fs being utilised on the Dhaka-Brussels route as well as the on Nairobi-Amsterdam route, where all MD-11Fs will be replaced by B747-400F aircraft.
The revised schedule will also see the introduction of a new European destination as the airline prepares to begin its first ever scheduled freighter services from the United Kingdom to KSA, commencing with two flights per week from Manston. Overall capacity from Europe will grow by 5 frequencies to 22 weekly freighter flights to KSA from its hubs in Brussels, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Malpensa and Manston.
Network changes to passenger flights will equally benefit the cargo capacity on the bellies. As of winter 2013, Saudia Cargo will begin services to Toronto with three weekly flights using a B777-300 aircraft. Existing services to Paris will continue with 11 flights per week, although an upgrade to wide body flights will enable greater capacity to be transported using A330 and B777 aircraft. The frequency of services to Casablanca will increase from five to seven per week and to Jakarta from seven to nine per week using the airline's B777-300 fleet. Services to Johannesburg will also increase from two to three per week.
The expansion of our passenger network in Toronto and the capacity growth of our bellies in Paris, Jakarta, Casablanca and Johannesburg will help to strengthen our global cargo network, commented Peter Scholten, VP Commercial at Saudia Cargo. In our scheduled freighter services we have anticipated some business opportunities to grow our capacity in accordance with the demands of our clients based in Bangladesh, South China, Kenya, Europe and the United Kingdom, he continued.
Saudi Airlines Cargo operates a fleet of 15 freighters and sells the belly-capacity on 145 passenger aircraft for Saudi Arabia's flag carrier Saudia, spanning a rapidly expanding global network of 225 destinations. In addition to its scheduled freighter services, the cargo airline also provides cost-effective and practical worldwide charter flight solutions from a growing fleet of dedicated charter aircraft.