New freighter services to Shanghai and Chicago (12/07/2004)

An additional fourth freighter will be added to the British Airways World Cargo (BAWC) network. Network enhancements will include the first direct freighter service from the UK to Shanghai and, for the first time, Chicago and Kuwait will be added to the carrier's freighter schedule. This additional capacity will strengthen BAWC's global network to/from Asia Pacific, the Indian sub-continent, the Middle East, Europe and the United States. The new services will begin in September 2004.

BAWC is the first UK airline to add freighter capacity into the China region following the announcement of the Air Services Agreement that was reached in February 2004 between the UK Department for Transport and the Civil Aviation Administration of China. The airline will operate a twice-weekly service into and out of Shanghai. This additional capacity will also complement BAWC's existing freighter and mainline schedule into and out of Hong Kong and India.

BAWC's US operation will be significantly boosted through the addition of a weekly freighter service into and out of Chicago, one of the largest freighter hubs in the country. The weekly service from Chicago will serve Kuwait, a new addition to the schedule, plus provide additional connections to freighter destinations including Frankfurt, Johannesburg, Dubai and Dammam. Introducing maindeck capacity to/from Chicago meets US, Canadian and European customer demand in and out of this key freighter hub. The Sunday morning departure time from Chicago will also greatly benefit customers as it meets their weekend export consolidation requirements.

The additional aircraft will be operated by a B747-200F that will complement BAWC's existing B747-400F freighter fleet and will be easily integrated into the overall schedule.

Keith Packer, Senior Vice President Commercial, said: "We are proud to be the first British airline to provide freighter capacity into/out of China. Adding a fourth freighter to our network is in direct response to our customers' requirements and provides them with access to new capacity in new markets.

"At the same time, we have been able to enhance our network by introducing capacity into/out of Chicago. As we continue to deliver world-class customer service, we are confident that the new services will operate at the right time, to the right place, for the benefit of our customers worldwide."

Linda James, Senior Manager Network Development, said: "The expansion of our network, which has the support of the British Airways Board, means that we are now investing more in our freighter business than ever before. This demonstrates our commitment to provide greater flexibility and capacity through an enlarged freighter operation and underlines our standing as a truly global network carrier."