IAG Cargo to launch direct Madrid-San Francisco service

The all-cargo airline will be the first to offer a direct route between the two cities and expects to transport machinery parts, chemicals and transport equipment, IAG Cargo said in a statement.    IAG Cargo will launch a new direct flight between Madrid and San Francisco beginning in summer 2018, the all-cargo airline announced Thursday.
   IAG Cargo is the only carrier to offer a direct route between the two cities and will utilize an A330-200, operated by Iberia, to service the route three times per week for a total capacity of up to 14 metric tons per flight. The service may transport products such as machinery parts, chemicals and transport equipment, said the air carrier.
   “San Francisco has a well-established technology hub, with computer and electronic products being California’s top export category in 2016,” said David Shepherd, commercial director of IAG Cargo. “California is also a vital market for exports, contributing to over $2 trillion of U.S. goods and services exports last year. We anticipate that the new route will offer a welcome boost to tech and SME exporters transporting their goods into Europe and across our wider network, with the new flight increasing the number of routes out of our Spanish gateway to 54.” 
   The air carrier will also offer additional wide body capacity between IAG Cargo’s hub in Madrid and Tel Aviv next summer. The service frequency will be increased from three flights per week to a daily service, thus increasing capacity by an additional 20 pallets each week.