Yangtze River, Great Wall, Shanghai airlines warm Alaskan hearts

ALASKAN airport officials are "cautiously optimistic" that air cargo traffic through Anchorage and Fairbanks after news that Yangtze River Express, Great Wall and Shanghai airlines, have signed deals to stopover and refuel in Anchorage, said the states Deputy Commissioner for Aviation, Christine Klein.

Taiwan's China Airlines has also agreed to increase the frequency of its passenger flights from Anchorage to Taipei from three to four times weekly. Japan Airlines has also increased its passenger charter flights, operating 17 flights this past tourist season, up from three flights last year.

Furthermore, reconstruction of terminals A and B at Anchorage's airport is now completed. All domestic airlines are back operating out of the airport's South Terminal, while the North Terminal is again being used for international flights, reports the Alaska Journal of Commerce.

Ms Klein was quoted as saying that since cargo landings at Anchorage fell 23 per cent in fiscal 2009, ended June 30, the decline has slowed and there are recent signs of recovery.

"Activity is actually increasing over last year as we get into the heavy holiday season, and that's encouraging. Most other airports have yet to see any recovery," she said. "October and November so far show us above the same periods of 2008, although we are still well below our peak year of 2006."

Ms Klein said Alaska airport officials expect a two per cent increase in cargo during fiscal year 2010 compared to the previous year, although she admitted that the road to recovery will be long and that it will take several years to get back to the levels of activity experienced a few years ago.

However, total landings, including passenger and cargo flights, at the Anchorage and Fairbanks airports, were down 13 per cent in fiscal 2009 and 10 per cent lower for fiscal 2010 so far, she said.

Other less positive news is the planned closure by Northwest Airlines of its Anchorage hub by year-end. On the other hand, cargo airlines Federal Express and United Parcel Service will continue to operate hubs in Anchorage for package sorting and trans-loading activities.

With regard to Fairbanks International Airport, where cargo and passenger levels are much smaller than Anchorage, Ms Klein said Fairbanks has been more stable and has even increased traffic in the last year. "This is in contrast to Anchorage's airport, which has taken the brunt of the falloff in international cargo flights," the report said.

Source: www.schednet.com