UK CHARTER AIRLINE Air Foyle is poised to enter the scheduled long-haul cargo business for the first time later this year.
The Luton-based carrier is negotiating the dry-lease of a Boeing 747-200F freighter to begin services from London - possibly Stansted - to destinations in South-East Asia, South America and the USA, from October.
The airline hopes to capitalise on what it calls "...the severe capacity problems that have hampered British and European freight forwarders and shippers", planning to use the 100t capacity airliner on routes to badly served areas which are growing in significance for UK imports and exports.
According to chairman Christopher Foyle, the initial schedule would provide one weekly rotation from London to Hong Kong, with an intermediate stop at either Luxembourg or Amsterdam; one rotation to Singapore, taking in Penang; one flight to the USA serving Detroit, Michigan or Columbus, Ohio; and a fourth weekly frequency to South America.
The most likely destinations are a combination of Buenos Aires, Bogota, Sao Paulo and Santiago de Chile.
Air Foyle already operates a fleet of aircraft, ranging from the Antonov An-124, down to a Beech Super King Air 200 on cargo and passenger charter services.
Source: Flight International
