Virgin Atlantic Cargo launches daily Melbourne-Hong Kong service

The air cargo subsidiary of Virgin Group said the service is meant as a timely boost to meet growing demand for cargo capacity on the route, as volumes have been increasing steadily in both directions.    Virgin Atlantic Cargo, which provides long-haul international cargo sales and management for Virgin Australia, launched a daily Melbourne-to-Hong Kong service for Virgin Australia on Nov. 12.
   Virgin Atlantic Cargo said the service is meant to serve as a timely boost to meet growing demand for cargo capacity on the route, as volumes have been increasing steadily in both directions since Virgin Australia commenced five flights a week back in July.
   “Our freight forwarder and courier customers are absolutely delighted that Virgin Australia is increasing its commitment to the Melbourne-Hong Kong route,” Pip Palmer, Virgin Atlantic’s Regional Sales Manager, Australia and New Zealand, said in a statement.
   “Cargo volumes to and from Melbourne have exceeded our expectations so far,” she said. “There are a series of positive business indicators that show not only a consistent level of demand from our current customers but also opportunities for new traffic like we have started to generate from Tasmania.”
   The extra capacity provided by the new daily service will support Australia’s peak perishables season, as well as e-commerce and courier business from Hong Kong, Virgin Atlantic said.
   Virgin Atlantic Cargo said it has generated over 1,200 tons of freight and courier traffic since the route began four months ago. Other regular shipments have included garments, shoes, electronics goods, vitamins, milk powder and meat. In the past few months, the airline has also developed other lines of business, including shipments of fresh lobster, Abalone and chilled salmon from Tasmania to Hong Kong.
   Continued business investment in Melbourne is also expected to help sustain long-term cargo demand, one component of which is an announced 24,000-square-meter (258,333 square feet) Amazon e-commerce fulfillment center.
   Virgin Atlantic, which has provided long-haul international sales for Virgin Australia since 2009, also sells capacity on Virgin Australia’s operations from Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne to Los Angeles.