Ningbo finds a cargo BUDdy
19 / 11 / 2015
Hungary’s Budapest Airport (BUD)and the Ningbo International Airport & Logistics Development Co have signed a strategic cooperation agreement in Shanghai.
Ningbo International is located in one of China’s most highly developed economic regions, some 200 km from Shanghai.
The two airports, which established direct contact in 2014, have now formalised their increasingly close cooperation and expect an upturn in cargo due to the signing of the agreement.
Ningbo International Airport is one of the fastest-growing hubs in the Yangtze River delta region, handling 113,000 tons of air cargo in 2014.
The airport’s 3.2 km runway is suitable for all large cargo aircraft and there are plans to increase cargo volume to 500,000 tons by 2020, helped by the proximity to a busy seaport.
“The signing of this strategic cooperation agreement is of great significance, since it is in the interest of both Budapest Airport and Ningbo Airport to have a direct cargo flight between China and Hungary in the near future,” said René Droese, property and cargo executive director for Budapest Airport, during the signing ceremony.
He added: “This agreement foresees even broader cooperation, as the competent specialists from the two airports also decided to exchange information and know-how directly.
“Budapest could be an ideal Eastern European logistics and distribution hub for Chinese exporters, since the 1,000 km catchment area of our airport includes no less than 19 countries.”
Chinese cargo traffic is “growing dynamically” said a spokesperson for the European hub with the re-launch of the direct passenger flight between Beijing and Budapest by Air China “playing a key role”. The four times a week flight has belly cargo capacity for up to 12 tons.
Added the Budapest Airport spokesperson: “It is noteworthy that almost the entire cargo capacity has been booked by Hungarian exporters transporting primarily electronics and pharmaceutical products to China, exceeding the volume of Chinese goods brought to Hungary by approximately a quarter.”
