AIRBRIDGECARGO Airlines (ABC), Russia’s largest air cargo carrier, is launching a weekly Basel-Moscow Sheremetyevo B747 freighter service to capiltalise on the Swiss city’s thriving healthcare industry, writes Thelma Etim, deputy editor.
Basel has one of the highest concentrations of successful life-sciences businesses in the world, including pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and medical technology organisations.
The airline's high on-time performance and fast handling through Moscow will enable ABC’s customers to achieve less than 48-hour connections to major cities in Asia, including Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, Zhengzhou, Chengdu, Seoul and Tokyo, via the ABC hub at Moscow, says a company statement.
Robert van de Weg, ABC’s senior vice-president of marketing and sales, insists that the new route, operating on Fridays, and the connections the company can offer will facilitate further growth between both regions. “The healthcare industry relies strongly on the speed of air cargo and its ability to maintain the integrity of products through strict temperature-control services.
"Operating from Basel will enable us to provide a fast and reliable link into Russia and Asia for customers in the industry as well as the other industries that have grown up to support the healthcare market in Switzerland.”
The all-cargo carrier can adjust the temperatures on each of its B747’s four cargo compartments to between four and 29 degrees Celsius.
ABC is represented in Basel by its GSSA partner RTW Air Services.
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