Express cargo carrier Air Hong Kong has completed a seven-year fleet renewal programme which means it now operates only Airbus A330 freighters.
Cathay Pacific Airways-owned Air Hong Kong, which operates primarily for DHL Express, has retired all the A300-600Fs from its fleet and now has 10 A330-300 passenger to freighter (P2F) aircraft and four A330-200F aircraft.
Air Hong Kong first began operating the A300-600F on behalf of DHL Express in 2004 and its A300-600F fleet has since provided 21 years of service and carried close to 3m tonnes of express cargo.
Usage of the A300-600F increased in the first half of the 1990s, while the A330-200F entered the market in 2010 and DHL Express became the launch customer for EFW’s A330-300P2F programme in 2016.
Air Hong Kong's fleet renewal programme began seven years ago, starting with the introduction of its first wet-leased A330F in February 2018.
The A330-300P2F is a mid-size freighter carrying up to 62 tonnes of payload and is suited to the express and e-commerce market, according to Airbus.
Cathay said that compared with the A300-600F, the A330F provides 25% more payload and volume, enabling more cargo to be carried, in particular e-commerce shipments.
It also has a longer range capability of 7,400 km, which will help Air Hong Kong continue to grow and has already enabled the airline to expand to new destinations, including Bahrain and Sydney, added Cathay.
Meanwhile, its increased fuel efficiency and reduced noise levels will help contribute to Air Hong Kong’s and the Cathay Group’s wider sustainability goals.
Air Hong Kong chief operating officer Clarence Tai said: “The A300-600F has been a stalwart of Air Hong Kong’s fleet and an important part of our story for over two decades.
"Its contribution to not only our business, but to the Hong Kong international aviation hub as a whole, has been considerable and we fondly bid farewell to this valued member of our fleet as we enter this exciting new chapter.
“The new-generation A330F brings with it considerable benefits that will enable us to further enhance our operations and services for our customers, and continue to play an important role in the ongoing growth of Hong Kong’s air cargo sector.
"I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department, the Cathay Group, our people, our suppliers and our key customer, DHL Express, for their firm support which has made this re-fleeting plan possible.”
DHL Express senior vice president for network operations & aviation – Asia Pacific, Peter Bardens, said: “Balancing our customers and operational needs has always been top of mind for us. Our decision to re-fleet aircraft years ago reflects our foresight to invest in ourselves so that we are ever-ready to support our customers.
“The A300-600F was instrumental to our robust aviation network for many years. As we bid farewell to this valued member of our fleet, we are excited to welcome a new chapter with this new generation of freighters. We are confident that we will continue to deliver excellence in both our service capabilities and sustainability targets.”
Established in 1986, Air Hong Kong offers scheduled and charter services to 17 destinations in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Australia.
Air Hong Kong was originally a joint venture between Cathay and DHL, but in 2017 Cathay announced it would buy DHL's 40% stake in the airline to become the sole owner.
