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Air Cargo News
Fri, 12 Mar 2010
PORT MORESBY, PNG ---- Pacific Air Express, which last year was involved in a tense bid for cargo capacity between Australia and Papua New Guinea, now has the rights it sought despite losing the earlier battle to HeavyLift Cargo Airlines.
It has picked up the remaining 17.5 tonnes of weekly freight space previously held by Qantas/Express Freighters Australia.
The earlier stoush was about a part of the route capacity which Qantas surrendered. The conflicting bids, supported by existing and would-be customers, led to HeavyLift winning on points.
It was inevitable that when Qantas decided to scuttle its remaining plans for a freighter run to Port Moresby that Pacific Air Express would get the nod this time, allowing it to operate a scheduled 733 cargo service between the two countries. Neither HeavyLift nor any other would-be operator applied for the capacity.
This decision is but one of a number of moves that have brought some consolidation of cargo routes to PNG, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.
HeavyLift decided to surrender Solomon Islands and Vanuatu capacity in the wake of a utilisation review.
Pacific Air Express is now Australia’s only all-cargo carrier with Vanuatu capacity - it has a current allocation of 35 tonnes weekly, allowing two B733F return flights.
HeavyLift is not in any way precluded from applying for further capacity, if available, for both the Solomons and Vanuatu, when demand makes this feasible. It can also operate ad-hoc charters.
Surrender of air route capacity is not unusual.
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