Cathay Pacific Cargo has launched “Wine LIFT,” a specialized air freight product for the transport of wine.
“Hong Kong has increasingly become a leading hub for the global wine trade,” said Jack Lo, product and marketing manager at Cathay Cargo. “We can now cater to the premium wine market segment by providing merchants and customers with the cold chain service that they require, along with security and delicate handling.”
The Wine LIFT service consists of temperature-controlled storage facilities and cooled containers that can be kept at specific temperature ranges during flights. Shipments will also be monitored by CCTV, according to a Cathay statement.
Lo said that two levels of service will be offered. The first, called “Fine Wine,” targets wine requiring a temperature between 11 and 25 degrees Celsius. The second, “Fine Wine Plus,” is designed for wines that require a temperature range of 11 to 17 degrees Celsius.
Most of Cathay’s wine traffic flows from Europe and the United States to Australasia and vice versa, said Lo.
Wine LIFT is already being implemented across Cathay’s cargo network.
Cathay Pacific Cargo operates a fleet of 13 Boeing 747-8 Freighters, six Boeing 747-400ER Freighters and five Boeing 747-400 Freighters.

By Jeffrey Lee