British cargo airline One Air has partnered with its GSA Air One Aviation to offer scheduled Boeing 747-400 freighter operations connecting airfreight markets in the UK, Europe, Middle East and Asia.
Commencing on 2 September, One Air will offer four scheduled flights a week from East Midlands Airport (EMA) in the UK to Liege (LGG) in Belgium, before flying on to Dubai World Central (DWC) and Hong Kong (HKG), with return services ex HKG to EMA via LGG.
This is the first time Air One and One Air have provided scheduled services, the companies confirmed.
Flights will utilise One Air's Boeing 747-400 fleet. According to Planespotters, One Air currently has three 747-400Fs. It also has an 777F on order. The airline operated its first flight to the US in January.
Air One has signed an agreement with ATC Aviation Services to market the outbound scheduled services to Dubai and Hong Kong, while Air One's own sales team in Hong Kong will sell cargo capacity on the returns flights to Belgium and the UK.
Additionally, customers using the inbound and outbound scheduled services will be given access to a road feeder transport network covering key airports across the UK and Europe.
“Launching scheduled cargo services is a new strategic step for AIR ONE and a natural extension and progression of our successful charter and wet lease operations,” said Peter Scholten, Air One's chief commercial officer.
“Having completed over 3,750 full charters carrying more than 345,000 tonnes of cargo to over 100 destinations globally over the past 5 years, AIR ONE has proven its all-cargo credentials.
"The introduction of scheduled services will now strengthen our market position and is in response to the customer demand we see in these key markets in the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.”
Guneet Mirchandani, executive chairman of Air One added: “With the support of our experienced in-house cargo team and our chosen airline, GSSA, and handling partners, we see a strong opportunity to establish AIR ONE in the scheduled cargo market, working with both existing and long-standing customers of our charter services as well as new clients shipping regular volumes on the launch routes we have chosen.”
Ingo Zimmer, chief executive of ATC Aviation Services, said: “We are very proud to represent this fast-growing freighter airline as its GSSA in most of the European countries."
As well as being a GSA for One Air, Air One is a GSA for Moldovan cargo airline Aerotranscargo and Romanian cargo airline ROM Cargo. In total, Air One markets a fleet of 11 Boeing 747-400Fs, including two nose-loading versions of the aircraft. Further fleet expansion is planned in 2025/26.
ATC Aviation Services is an international sales and marketing organisation, with a network spanning over 25 countries. The organisation generates over 250,000 tonnes of cargo annually for its airline clients.
