China Airlines is aiming to grow its air cargo business through the purchase of four more B777 freighters.
The Taiwan-based carrier, which in 2020 was ranked the tenth largest freight carrier by IATA, said the deliveries are slated to commence in 2023 and will be completed in 2024. They add to a previous order for six of the aircraft.
"The ongoing fleet acquisition programme will boost operating performance by balancing network development and market movements against the aircraft replacement schedule," the airline said.
China Airlines, which also operates 18 B747Fs, began taking delivery of its existing order of six B777Fs in 2020. So far, three of the aircraft have been delivered, with two more slated for 2022 and one more lined-up in 2023.
"The 777F is a twin-engine freighter whose high performance and fuel efficiency makes it suitable for trans-Pacific routes, having fewer restrictions on payload and enabling more efficient use of hold space. The aircraft is equipped with fully temperature-controlled cargo holds," China Airlines said.
"The main cargo hold can be fitted with cargo pallet restraint systems used for carrying semiconductor machinery and engines, providing high-value cargo such as precision instruments and temperature-controlled goods with optimal carriage services."
The airline said that last year its cargo business broke multiple records, including sending out over a hundred cargo charter flights in one month, surpassing T15.4bn in single-month cargo revenues in December, exceeding T10 bn in cargo revenues for five consecutive months, and "sweeping past" T100bn in cargo revenues for the entire year.
"China Airlines is focusing all efforts on the cargo market. Once the new freighters are progressively introduced into service, the additional capacity they bring will be utilized to capture global business opportunities," the airline said.
