Panalpina adds Querétaro in Mexico to B747F network

Panalpina has added Querétaro airport in Mexico to the ‘Speedy’ loop of its dedicated B747 freighter network, which also links Mexico City and Guadalajara with forwarder’s airfreight hub in Huntsville, Alabama.
Switzerland-based Panalpina has become the only maindeck cargo capacity provider to offer scheduled flights to three different Mexican airports.
US-based lessor Atlas Air operates a B747-8 freighter on behalf of Panalpina on its Mexican connections.
According to a Panalpina statement, the new Querétaro lane reflects the global supply chain specialist’s growth in the aerospace cargo segment and the “continuous adaptation of the company’s Charter Network to meet evolving market needs and customer demand in Mexico”.
It noted: “The final decision to accelerate the integration of Querétaro into the Panalpina Charter Network was made at the 2017 Paris Airshow during meetings held with government and private stakeholders.”
Matthias Frey, global head of the Panalpina Charter Network, explained: “Panalpina has been committed to Querétaro for over five years now. We have been working closely with Querétaro airport operatives and government authorities, strategic airline partner Atlas Air, and Huntsville International Airport to build on the continued success of the network.”
Panalpina has a long history of supporting airfreight services into Mexico: “Panalpina’s own scheduled flights connecting the US and Europe with Mexico are a well-known and appreciated product in the Mexican market thanks to a remarkable on-time performance and top-notch equipment,” says Enrico Boehme, Panalpina’s country head of air freight in Mexico.
Querétaro is located in the Bajio region of Mexico’s, and is home to industries such as automotive and manufacturing; it also boasts one of the largest aerospace industry clusters in the world, the Panalpina spokesperson pointed out.
“Panalpina is a pioneer in the Mexican airfreight market and the new scheduled flights to and from Querétaro are another testimony of that,” Boehme remarked.
“They offer our customers access to our global network, greater flexibility for their supply chains and room to grow. We give local and multinational companies in Mexico the opportunity to export, import and resupply from their worldwide network in a seamless way.”
As well as the regular scheduled capacity Panalpina offers into Mexico, it also arranges additional space as necessary into what it regards as an important market. Of the 100 extra flights Panalpina pre-procured last year to operate regular charters during the peak season, 25 were B747 freighters secured to fly into Mexico.
And, so far this year, Panalpina has already organised 11 ad-hoc charters to serve the Mexico market; another ten are also scheduled for the coming few weeks.
As well as the three Mexican airports into which it now offers B747-8F capacity, services connect with an exclusive road feeder trucking service and ad-hoc charters to other locations across the country.
“This unique combination of scheduled and ad-hoc charter flights, as well as overland services, means that we can efficiently and reliably distribute imported products to Mexico City, Guadalajara, Querétaro, Puebla, Monterrey, San Luis Potosí, Aguascalientes, and elsewhere,” Frey pointed out.
While Panalpina’s flights through Mexico in the late 1990s were primarily used to support the nation’s expanding high-tech industry and rapidly increasing demand for IT in northern Mexico, its current ‘Speedy’ lane brings all kinds of machinery and automotive cargo into the country, supporting its ongoing industrialisation.
Plus, Panalpina’s transatlantic fixed schedule supports the shipment of perishables out of Guadalajara, allowing fresh Mexican produce to be moved through the company’s wider perishables network.
Every week, a Panalpina B747-8F now flies on the following transatlantic ‘Dixie’ and Mexico ‘Speedy’ routes:

  • Luxembourg – Huntsville – Querétaro – Guadalajara – Huntsville – London Stansted – Luxembourg once a week (with the Mexico loop on Fridays, and a new Querétaro stop replacing Mexico City)
  • Luxembourg – Huntsville – Mexico City – Guadalajara – Huntsville – Stansted – Luxembourg once a week (with the Mexico loop on Mondays)
  • Luxembourg – Huntsville – Luxembourg twice a week

Read more freighter operator news

Share this story

Related Topics

Latest americas news

FedEx profits improve as cost cutting takes effect

FedEx saw its profits improve in the third quarter of its fiscal year despite revenues coming under pressure due to…

Read More

Share this story

Big three US airlines again delay resumption of further China flights

The three largest US airlines are pushing back until at least late October the resumption of many flights to China…

Read More

Share this story

FarCargo gets ready to launch first transatlantic air cargo route

Faroe Islands-based carrier FarCargo will launch its first transatlantic air cargo route for salmon shipments on March 5. The planned…

Read More

Share this story

Air Cargo News

Air Cargo News
Established in 1983, Air Cargo News is the leading source of news, information, interviews, analyses and reports to the global airfreight industry. Our leading portfolio includes print, digital and events that give businesses in the airfreight industry the ability to connect with decision-makers in this sector.