By TOM PETERS
April 6, 2009
Halifax Stanfield International Airport has another dedicated air cargo service. Asiana Cargo, a division of Korean-based Asiana Airlines, has begun scheduled weekly service from Halifax to Brussels, Belgium, and Seoul, South Korea, using a Boeing 747-400F.
The flight, which originates in Seoul and arrives in Halifax from JFK International Airport in New York via Anchorage, adds vital lift to international markets, especially for freight forwarders moving seafood.
Mike Walters, spokesman for Kintetsu World Express (Canada) Ltd., in Halifax, said the additional lift is “fabulous, and come peak season it is going to be really good.” He said Belgium is his company’s main market in Europe and Incheon, Korea, is its main market in Asia.
ABX Air out of Wilmington, Ohio, is the only other dedicated air cargo service through Halifax.
“The introduction of this new dedicated air cargo service demonstrates the priority we place on growing our cargo business, and having Asiana Cargo come on board with scheduled service to Europe and Asia is a significant opportunity for shippers in our region,” said Tom Ruth, president and CEO of the Halifax International Airport Authority.
The primary export will be lobster and other seafood.
With a volume allotment of up to 50 tonnes, each flight could represent upwards of $500,000 of export value to the provincial economy.
Mike Mangione, Asiana Cargo’s general sales manager, said the company is pleased to expand its around-the-world air cargo service into Halifax and take advantage of the newly updated Canada-South Korea open skies agreement. “We look forward to a long and prosperous relationship with the local airport and business communities,” he said.