Virgin Atlantic Cargo strengthens Australian connection

The cargo airline has expanded its international long-haul cargo sales and management agreement with counterpart airline, Virgin Australia Cargo.    Virgin Atlantic Cargo has expanded its international long-haul cargo sales and management agreement with counterpart airline, Virgin Australia Cargo.
   Virgin Australia Cargo was started last year to manage cargo operations for Virgin Australia’s domestic and short-haul international network.
   Since February 2009, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Australia have worked together on international routes.
   Virgin Atlantic manages cargo revenues on Virgin Australia’s long-haul flights to and from Sydney and Brisbane and Los Angeles, although Virgin Australia operates the flights. Once in Los Angeles, Virgin Australia’s Boeing 777s, which offer up to 30 tons of cargo capacity, connect with Virgin Atlantic’s worldwide cargo network.
   Virgin Atlantic has seen a boost in Australia-U.S. cargo traffic in recent years.
   “In 2015, our total volumes ex-Australia to the U.S. increased by 5 percent year-on-year and ex-U.S. to Australia by 4 percent in what was, and remains, a highly competitive market,” said Phillippa “Pip” Palmer, Virgin Atlantic Cargo’s regional sales manager for Australia and New Zealand, in a statement.
   Virgin Atlantic will also market the cargo capacity on Virgin Australia’s three flights a week connecting Sydney and Abu Dhabi when they resume in September, the airlines said.