|
October 26, 2004, Taipei, Taiwan – China Airlines
announced to launch twice weekly scheduled cargo service to Prague
with a modern Boeing 747-400F freighter, starting mid-November.
The new Prague route will add another city to CAL’s extensive European
cargo network, which already includes Luxembourg, Amsterdam, Frankfurt,
Manchester, and Milan. China Airlines currently operates 13 weekly
cargo flights to Europe.
The new service to Prague will operate on Thursdays and Sundays.
The itinerary for the Prague-bound flights, CI 343, will be Taipei
– Abu Dhabi – Luxembourg – Prague, leaving Taipei at 00:45. The
return flights of CI344 will depart Prague at 16:35 the same day
for Taipei via Delhi.
Due to strong Euro dollar in recent years, European demand for
Asian products has increased considerably. CAL’s new cargo service
provides a quick and economical option for the shipment of Asian
goods to Europe.
Prague is the Capital of the Czech Republic, and is a major gateway
to eastern Europe. From Prague, an extensive truck service serves
Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The well-equipped Prague airport
has an advanced modern warehouse, and currently handles 84% of
the country’s air traffic. Given the extensive cargo network of
China Airlines in southern and western Europe, the addition of
Prague marks the entry of CAL into the eastern European market.
The Czech Republic joined the EU in 2004, and the country has
benefited from an economic policy that has attracted foreign capital,
and improved economic competitiveness. Czech workers are highly
skilled and well- educated. Czech began to attract foreign capital,
including Taiwan, into textiles, steel, machinery, bicycles, and
IT industries. Many Taiwan well-known companies, such as Falung
Textile, Asustek Computer, Honhai and Aerospace Industrial Development
Corporation, set up subsidiaries there.
China Airlines currently operates 13 cargo flights and 15 passenger
flights to Europe each week. CAL is the world’s largest operator
of Boeing 747-400F freighters, and it plans to introduce three
moore B747-400Fs in 2005, which will allow it to boost cargo capacity
and add additional new destinations. China Airlines is ranked
7th in the world in terms of international cargo traffic carried.
In 2003, CAL carried 4.73 billion freight ton kilometers (FTK),
a 5.3% increase over 2002.
|
