Taiwanese transport conglomerate Evergreen Group is talking to Shanghai Airlines about establishing a joint venture cargo airline in Shanghai and hopes to reach an agreement by year-end.
Evergreen Group airline subsidiary EVA Air confirms that the proposal is under discussion, but Shanghai Airlines declines to comment. "It's not decided yet," says EVA, adding that Evergreen chairman Chang Kuo Cheng originally had the idea "about two years ago", but recently held talks with the chairman of Shanghai Airlines "about the possibility of establishing an international cargo airline in Shanghai".
"Nothing has been signed and things are still under negotiation …but we hope we can reach an agreement end of this year," says the airline.
EVA Air and Shanghai Airlines already co-operate with each other to transport cargo between Taiwan and Shanghai via Macau. Direct air links between Taiwan and China are forbidden because of the decades old political impasse between the two sides, but recently the Taiwan government has floated the idea of having direct cargo links between Taiwan and China. EVA says: "We exchange cargo in Macau…this is a pretty smooth operation and both parties are happy with it."
EVA Air operates 45 aircraft, including 12 Boeing MD-11 freighters, four Boeing 747-400 freighters and 10 747 combis. Shanghai Airlines is primarily a passenger carrier, but has expanded into dedicated cargo services by leasing a Boeing 737-300 freighter from AWAS. This year it plans to take delivery of two Boeing 757-200s that it used to lease as passenger aircraft that are being converted into freighters.
LEITHEN FRANCIS/SINGAPORE
Source: Flight International
