ATRAN Airlines has introduced a freighter call to connect Xi’an and Cologne utilising B737 freighter capacity.
The B737-800BCF operated service will offer around 23 tonnes of capacity per flight.
With the flight lasting over 12 hours one-way, there will be tech stops in Russia for refuel at Krasnoyarsk and Moscow (Vnukovo).
The Volga-Dnepr Group carrier said it had decided to return to Xi'an to meet rising demand.
Vitaliy Andreev, general director of ATRAN Airlines, said: “With cargo operations being pandemic induced last year we had to suspend our operations ex Xi’an and concentrate on other destinations.
"This year we decided to re-introduce the flights amid the growing market volumes ex China to Europe and revival of regular and stable traffic.
"Cologne is among a few cargo-friendly airports in Europe which managed to upscale its freight infrastructure, attract required resources and nurture manpower."
Torsten Wefers, Cologne/Bonn’s director of cargo, added: “ATRAN’s decision to link Xi’an with Cologne is fully in line with our clear ambition to further boost our China-related cargo traffic. We already experience an increasing number of Chinese forwarders using Cologne/Bonn as an alternative option to EU airports hit by congestion."
The B737 tends to be favoured for regional and national flights given its range and capacity.
However, this is not the only time Atran has operated a B737 freighter between China and Europe, the carrier also flies from Hong Kong to Riga on behalf of parcel delivery firm Venipak Group.
Atran operates a fleet of three Boeing 737-400SF and six B737-800BCF.
