Houston's George Bush airport marks Cathay cargo flight

THE Houston Airport System celebrated the inaugural flight of Cathay Pacific Cargo at George Bush Intercontinental Airport the first arrival of the thrice weekly all-cargo service from Houston to Hong Kong using 747-400 ERFs.

Especially during a tough economy, we appreciate this new growth at Bush Intercontinental, said Rick Vacar, director of aviation for the Houston Airport System. We realise this is a bold move by Cathay Pacific Cargo.

Cathay Pacific Cargo is flying the following route: Hong Kong, Anchorage, Miami, Houston, Anchorage and back to Hong Kong.

Cargo loaded in Houston includes oil and gas equipment, industrial machinery and high-tech components. Shippers will then distribute the freight through Hong Kong to Houston's key trading partners in Singapore, Japan, India, China and Australia.

We are bringing a very strong suite of cargo products to the local marketplace, said Scott Mowrer, senior vice president, Americas, for Cathay Pacific Airways. Coupled with the strength of our Hong Kong hub and extensive route network throughout Asia, we're going to be a pretty compelling option for shippers throughout the greater Houston area.

It's exciting to welcome our 12th freighter operator, said Mr Vacar. The risk we assumed when expanding our cargo facilities at Bush Intercontinental years ago is now paying great dividends with the landing of new cargo service in Houston.

By investing US$3.1 billion in airport infrastructure from 1999 to 2004, including a $180 million air cargo distribution centre, Houston attracts global carriers - Cathay Pacific is the fourth Asian-based airline since 2006.

We are very fortunate to have plenty of space to grow here in Houston and we still are able to expand our Cargo Centre, said Mr Vacar. "It's our flexibility to accommodate growth that results in new carriers recognising Houston's strategic location and fast-growing cargo market.

The cargo operation features advanced computer technology, which helps US Customs clear cargo while it's still in the air. The Cargo Centre offers 550,000 square feet of warehousing and ramp capacity for 20 widebody aircraft. Houston is the nation's fourth largest exporter overall and the 10th largest air cargo exporter. Houston's airport handled more than 372,000 metric tons of air freight in 2008.

Source: Schednet