Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Cargo noted how 2021 has been "another year of extreme challenges" for the industry with capacity constraints on many trade lanes.
The carrier noted that due to this, there was additional demand for its Priority LIFT service from its forwarders and post offices to ensure that gifts, e-commerce orders and Christmas cards, which would ordinarily be carried in the bellyholds of passenger aircraft, reach their recipients on time to deliver Christmas cheer despite the pandemic.
"This push for capacity has been a key role for our cargo teams this year given the decreased numbers of passenger flights operating through Hong Kong," Cathay said in a statement, noting that despite this, the airline has continuously worked "to unblock the bottlenecks of the choked global supply chains."
Frosti Lau, GM Cargo service delivery, said in some instances that has meant flying to new or different ports, and finding alternatives with our customers.
"For example, when Chicago O’Hare was too disrupted to accept cargo, we increased our operations to Columbus Rickenbacker and made use of trucking to keep cargo moving," Lau said. "We will end the year having operated around 8,000 cargo-only passenger flights."
He added that this has included the renewal of its seasonal airbridge from Hobart and its round-the-world flights to Pittsburgh, as well as operating to some of its traditional freighter stations such as Atlanta.
"Our freighters have flown more than ever before. We are enormously grateful for the support of our flight crews, who face extremely challenging work patterns because of the continuing quarantine measures here in Hong Kong," Lau added.
Cathay Pacific Cargo also noted that this year, it added IATA’s CEIV Live Animals to our existing CEIV Fresh and Pharma accreditations.