Cathay Pacific Cargo's first scheduled freighter arrives in Astana
The first scheduled Cathay Pacific Cargo freighter has arrived at Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport in Astana, marking the launch of the Hong Kong-based carrier's regular cargo service to Kazakhstan, Qazinform News Agency reports.
The new route is the result of years of efforts to attract one of the world's leading cargo airlines and is expected to strengthen Kazakhstan's role as a transit hub linking Asia and Europe.
Sarsenbek Kushkinov, CEO of Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport, described the launch as an important milestone for the development of Kazakhstan's air cargo sector.
"Today's event is a long-awaited milestone for both our airport and Kazakhstan as a whole. Years of work to attract one of the world's largest cargo carriers, Cathay Pacific Cargo, have culminated in the arrival of its first scheduled technical stop in Astana. This is another major step toward unlocking our country's transit potential," he said.
According to Kushkinov, the airline will initially operate five flights a week, with the technical stops expected to pave the way for regular commercial cargo operations in the future.
"As is often the case in international aviation, technical stops can gradually evolve into regular commercial cargo services. We look forward to expanding our cooperation with Cathay Pacific Cargo and are confident this route has strong growth potential," he added.
Kushkinov said the route is primarily intended to transport cargo between Southeast Asia and Europe through Astana. He noted that Hong Kong is one of the world's largest aviation hubs and that Cathay Pacific transports a wide range of high-value cargo, including high-tech products, time-sensitive and perishable goods, as well as e-commerce shipments from online marketplaces.
He also noted that attracting Cathay Pacific Cargo was the result of a lengthy process of meeting the carrier's stringent operational and safety requirements.
Cathay Pacific Cargo second officer Vicky Mendelson said the flight from Hong Kong took about six hours and noted that the aircraft is capable of carrying around 80 to 100 tons of cargo.
The partnership with one of the world's largest cargo airlines is expected to further strengthen Kazakhstan's aviation infrastructure and expand international logistics routes through the country.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Astana-Shanghai flights are set to start this autumn.
