Dragonair plans U.S. expansion

Dragonair plans U.S. expansion    In addition to Dragonair Cargo's new freighter service from Hong Kong to JFK, it plans to operate in Los Angeles and Chicago by the end of 2007.
   Stanley H.C. Hui, chief executive officer of Dragonair, said in New York that service to those U.S. cities would depend on the delivery of five converted B747-400 freighters, starting toward the end of 2006.
   'We had originally planned to launch our U.S. service at that time,' he told reporters at a luncheon Thursday. 'However, there was so much business available to us from Hong Kong to the U.S. that we decided to wet-lease a Boeing 747-400 plane and not let any more time go by.'
   Hui said Dragonair's thrice-weekly freighter service to JFK, which began April 2, is 'off to an excellent start.'
   'Less than five years ago, we didn't even have a cargo fleet. Now our freighter network spans three-quarters of the globe, and we are fast becoming a major player on the international cargo stage. This growth has in large measure been built on the phenomenal rise in China's trade with its partners worldwide,' Hui explained.
   Dragonair was established 'exactly 20 years ago' in Hong Kong, Hui said. The airline's passenger network reaches 21 cities in mainland China. 'In fact, out of 460 scheduled services, 300 are into mainland China.'
   'We chose New York as our first U.S. city because that's where the most air cargo business is. We'll go where the most people want to go,' Hui said.
   He noted that while air cargo accounts for 43 percent of Dragonair's activity, the airline earns one-third of its profits from its freight operations.
   Dragonair launched its all-cargo services in May 2000. It now operates jet freighters to 10 destinations, connecting Europe, the Middle East, Japan, Taiwan, and mainland China.
   The airline's new air cargo service to JFK leaves Hong Kong every Monday, Thursday and Saturday, making a technical stop in Anchorage.