Geoff Thomas
It's not every day that a new cargo airline is founded - but Dutch freight company Jet Link International announced at the show yesterday that it was doing just that, lease-buying two ex-Alitalia Airbus A300 B4-200Fs from New York's CS Aviation.
The new airline will be known as Jet Link Holland. It will be based at Schipol Airport, Amsterdam, with the aircraft carrying Dutch registrations.
Since its foundation in 1990, Jet Link International has operated as a general sales agent (GSA) for several carriers, including Qatar Airways, Syrianair, Ghana Airways and Cubana.
However, problems with Stage 3 noise regulations at European airports made the company re-think its future course, explains Arent Thijsen, Jet Link International's director of sales and marketing.
"Tighter noise regulations mean that older freighters like the Boeing 707 and DC-8 soon won't be able to land at European airports - hence our opportunity to found the new airline.
"We'll be running the A300 on routes to the Middle East and Africa - in fact anywhere within its five-hour range, fully laden."
Currently being converted to a freighter by British Aerospace, Jet Link Holland's first A300 will be delivered in February 1998, with the second following nine months later.
Source: Flight Daily News
