Hong Kong Air Cargo (HKAC) is launching flights to Glasgow Prestwick Airport (PIK) in the United Kingdom amid a continued rise in e-commerce demand.

PIK said it will be welcoming Hong Kong Air Cargo (HKAC) flights from February 11, 2025, making it the first Far East airline to operate at the airport.

Hong Kong Air Cargo's first flight to PIK will be an Airbus A330-200F operating from Hong Kong, with additional flights already planned for February 18 and 25.

The first Hong Kong Air Cargo flights will be carrying shipments from three of the top four e-commerce platforms – SHEIN, Temu, and TikTok – all of which operate out of Hong Kong.

"PIK is our first new destination for 2025 and is the ideal choice to support our growing operations into the UK as we will benefit from fast turnaround times and an experienced cargo team,” said Tony Ma, chairman of Hong Kong Air Cargo.

"The hub’s location is ideal for our e-commerce flights, with easy access to road and rail connections, as well as by sea to Ireland, and we are looking to fill our return leg with two of the UK’s biggest exports to the Far East by weight," he added, noting that Hong Kong Air Cargo is looking forward to working closely with the team at Prestwick to develop this new route.

PIK said each flight will carry up to 60 tonnes of cargo, which will be processed and sorted at PIK before final mile delivery by Royal Mail Group and EVRI.

"The arrival of Hong Kong Air Cargo's flights is a clear sign that our efforts to develop Prestwick as a leading e-commerce hub are delivering results," said Nico Le Roux, business development director, PIK.

"We have made significant investments over the past year to improve our cargo handling capabilities and attract traffic from the Far East, with new equipment and the appointment of a dedicated airport representative based in Greater China."

"This comes on top of expansion based on our recently announced partnerships with Royal Mail Group and Chicago Rockford Airport in the US," Le Roux added.

PIK's Business Development team is now concentrating on securing cargo for the return trip to Hong Kong.

"The next step is ensuring that the return flights to Hong Kong are fully utilised, presenting a major opportunity for Scottish exporters," Le Roux said.

"Scottish salmon and whisky are highly sought-after in Asia, and this new route provides a direct and efficient means of getting these premium products to the Hong Kong and mainland Chinese market," he added.

The airport is also collaborating with Scottish export associations to increase exports flying out of PIK, avoiding the trucking of goods to London Heathrow Airport.