Cathay Cargo to add transpacific freighter capacity as peak approaches

Cathay Cargo will add more transpacific freighter capacity from this month to cater for growth in technology-related shipments as the peak season approaches.

In Cathay Cargo’s latest ‘From the Main Deck’ newsletter, Jonathan Ng, head of cargo hub operations & development, said that transpacific trade had been fuelled by growth in semiconductor and data-centre equipment shipments.

He said: “Cargo demand has remained positive over the summer, particularly due to growth in semiconductor and data-centre equipment shipments from across Asia to our transpacific markets.”

“The first priority is getting the balance between demand and capacity right,” Ng added. “We’re adding additional freighter capacity to the Americas from this month to meet current demand and support further growth during the peak.”

Last month, Cathay reported that semiconductor and lithium battery shipments had helped grow year on year volumes in July.

In addition to sustained transpacific trade, Cathay Cargo has also seen increasing volumes of lithium battery shipments from northeast Asia and the Greater Bay Area passing through its Hong Kong hub.

The upcoming addition of a leased Airbus A330 passenger to freighter (P2F) aircraft, which is currently undergoing conversion in Shanghai, will support Cathay Pacific subsidiary Air Hong Kong to meet regional demand for general cargo.

Cathay Cargo is also working on improving its specialist shipment solutions, especially with regards to safety.

Ng said the airline had “been working closely with shippers and forwarders to ensure that our checklists align with their requirements for the increasing volumes of AI chips, server racks, vibration-sensitive wafer steppers”.