Panalpina, Atlas extend freight charter agreement

Starting in March, Panalpina will operate flights from Hong Kong to Huntsville, Ala., with scheduled charters using Atlas Air’s Boeing 747-400 freighters.    Swiss freight forwarder Panalpina and Atlas Air, an operator of freighter aircraft, have entered a new five-year agreement in which Panalpina will switch one of its wet-leased aircraft to more than 200 scheduled charters per year.
   “The new long-term agreement with Atlas Air will intensify our cooperation and increase our joint business,” says Lucas Kuehner, global head of air freight at Panalpina, in a statement. “The switch from one of our wet-leased 747-8Fs to more than 200 scheduled full charters per year as part of this agreement equals a change in our procurement strategy and prepares the ground for the continued expansion of our controlled air freight network.”
   Starting in March, Panalpina will operate flights from Hong Kong to Huntsville, Ala., with dedicated scheduled charters using Atlas Air’s Boeing 747-400 freighters. “We will not only maintain our scheduled capacity for our customers on the transpacific route but are planning to extend this service together with Atlas Air,” said Matthias Frey, global head of Panalpina’s controlled air freight network.
   Panalpina is also extending its operation of the wet-leased 747-8F on the transatlantic route, which includes calls in Mexico and the United Kingdom.
   The expanded agreement with Atlas now accounts for 15 percent of Panalpina’s annual air freight volume, the forwarder said.