Air Cargo Sees Wave of New Routes Between Europe and Asia

Photo: Maersk

So far this year, four new air freight services between Europe and Asia have been announced.

On January 8, 2025, MSC Air Cargo announced it would launch a route from Amsterdam to Seoul, noting that its extensive road network allows shippers to start their journey “from anywhere in Europe.”

MSC currently operates five 777Fs, four of which are operated by Atlas Air and one by AlisCargo Airlines.

The service is expected to compete directly with Air Incheon’s new plans, which include the possibility of a route between Seoul and Brussels.

DB Schenker also announced on 8 January 2025 that it has partnered with Etihad Cargo to operate a regular service from Ezhou to Frankfurt using a 777F.

The route departs from Ezhou every Tuesday, with a stopover in Abu Dhabi, and serves shippers in the e-commerce, high-tech, electronics, industrial, consumer, retail and automotive sectors. The airline estimates the annual cargo volume on the route at around 5,200 tonnes.

Ezhou is emerging as an important destination: the airport currently serves 30 international cargo routes and 53 domestic routes, the fastest growing in China. Last year, Ezhou ranked fifth in terms of cargo volume, handling 1.2 million tonnes.

DB Schenker said: “The unique location of Ezhou Huahu International Airport was a key factor for DB Schenker in choosing to establish the operations there. The airport is … 75 km from Wuhan and within 1.5-hour flight of five major national urban conglomerations, including the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta regions.”

“The three main railway lines, seven highways and five deepwater ports surrounding the airport constitute a comprehensive multimodal transportation network, ensuring the solid support for cargo distribution.”

The airline added that the area is close to an industrial cluster that includes the aviation and medical industries.

Meanwhile, Maersk Air Cargo has launched a six-times-weekly service between Zhengzhou (Henan Province) and Billund (Denmark) using a 767F, primarily serving cross-border e-commerce and electronics.

Finally, although unrelated to the new route, Air Atlanta Icelandic has taken over a 747F from China Airlines Cargo to operate for Network Aviation Group.

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Source: Phaata.com (via TheLoadStar)

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