Singapore Airlines Cargo

Infobox Airline
airline = Singapore Airlines Cargo

logo_size = 270
fleet_size = 14
destinations = 36
IATA = SQ
ICAO = SQC
callsign = SINGCARGO
parent = Singapore Airlines Limited
company_slogan =
founded = 2001
headquarters = Singapore
key_people = Chew Choon Seng (CEO)
hubs = Singapore Changi Airport Sharjah International Airport Brussels Airport
secondary_hubs =
focus_cities =
frequent_flyer =
lounge =
alliance = WOW Alliance
subsidiaries =
website = http://www.siacargo.com

Singapore Airlines Cargo (SIA Cargo) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Singapore Airlines and was formed in 2001. SIA Cargo is the world's third-largest cargo airline in terms of international freight tonne kilometres (FTK) cite journal |year = 2008 | month =November | journal = Airline Business | title = Cargo Rankings 2006. It has a dedicated flight network spanning 36 cities in 18 countries, [cite web |url=http://www.siacargo.com/SEA.pdf |title=Cargo Quick Reference Timetable - South-East Asian |accessdate=2007-05-11 |format= |work= ] cite web |url=http://www.siacargo.com/USA.pdf |title=Cargo Quick Reference Timetable - North American |accessdate=2007-05-11 |format= |work= ] cite web |url=http://www.siacargo.com/NA.pdf |title= Cargo Quick Reference Timetable - North Asian|accessdate=2007-05-11 |format= |work= ] cite web |url=http://www.siacargo.com/SWP.pdf |title= Cargo Quick Reference Timetable - South-West Pacific |accessdate=2007-05-11 |format= |work= ] cite web |url=http://www.siacargo.com/EUR.pdf |title=Cargo Quick Reference Timetable - European |accessdate=2007-05-11 |format= |work= ] cite web |url=http://www.siacargo.com/WAA.pdf |title=Cargo Quick Reference Timetable - West Asian & African |accessdate=2007-05-11 |format= |work= ] managing an 8-billion-tonne-kilometre capacity through a fleet of 14 all-cargo aircraft and the cargo holds of 96 passenger aircraft operated by Singapore Airlines.cite web | publisher = Singapore Airlines Cargo | date = | title = Singapore Airlines Cargo Fleet | url = http://www.siacargo.com/fleetauld_fleet.asp]

The airline is part of the WOW Alliance, which also includes Lufthansa Cargo, SAS Cargo Group, and JAL Cargo as members. The airline owns a 25% stake in Great Wall Airlines, a new cargo airline based in Shanghai. Great Wall Airlines leased two Boeing 747-412F from SIA Cargo to operate its first route from Shanghai's Pudong Airport to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport.

History

Singapore Airlines Cargo was incorporated in 1 July, 2001, taking over the air-freight operations of Singapore Airlines as a separate subsidiary. SIA Cargo leased the entire freighter fleet from Singapore Airlines, as well as taking over management of the cargo holds in all of Singapore Airlines' passenger aircraft. Within a few months, it entered an alliance with Lufthansa Cargo and SAS Cargo Group to form WOW Alliance on 1 October, 2001. [ cite press release | title =Lufthansa Cargo, SAS Cargo and Singapore Airlines Cargo - Alliance Enters the Market | publisher = Singapore Airlines Cargo | date = 26 September 2001| url =http://www.siacargo.com/news260901.asp | accessdate = 2007-05-10 ] Japan Airlines Cargo joined the alliance later on 5 July, 2002. [ cite press release | title =New Partner for WOW: Japan Airlines Cargo Joins Lufthansa Cargo, SAS Cargo and Singapore Airlines Cargo in Air Cargo Alliance | publisher = Singapore Airlines Cargo | date = 5 July 2002| url =http://www.siacargo.com/news050702.asp | accessdate = 2007-05-10 ]

"Securerider", a premium product for secured shipments was launched on 7 January 2002, [ cite press release | title =Singapore Airlines Cargo Launches Securerider | publisher = Singapore Airlines Cargo | date = 7 January 2002| url =http://www.siacargo.com/news070102.asp | accessdate = 2007-05-10 ] including services such as "Swiftrider", "Timerider" and "Coolrider" targeting general shipments, heavy shipments, and temperature-sensitive cargo, respectively.

The airline garnered its first award as an all-cargo airline by winning the "Best Global Air Cargo Carrier" and "Best Air Cargo Carrier - Asia" at the Asian Freight Industry Awards (AFIA) in 2002, an award which parent company Singapore Airlines had already won eight times consecutively. [ cite press release | title =Singapore Airlines Cargo Wins Again At Asian Freight Industry Award | publisher = Singapore Airlines Cargo | date = 14 March 2002| url =http://www.siacargo.com/news140302.asp | accessdate = 2007-05-10 ] It was named as the "Best Airfreight Carrier" in the inaugural Hong Kong-based Asia Logistics Awards in the same year. [ cite press release | title =Singapore Airlines Cargo Wins Top Logistics Award | publisher = Singapore Airlines Cargo | date = 29 November 2002| url =http://www.siacargo.com/news291102.asp | accessdate = 2007-05-10 ]

New routes were introduced in the next few years as the airline began to take advantage of liberalised aviation agreements. A round-the-world service was introduced on 31 October, 2001, flying from Singapore to Hong Kong, Dallas, Chicago, Brussels, Sharjah, and back to Singapore on Wednesdays, and on the Singapore, Hong Kong, Dallas, Chicago, Brussels, Mumbai, Singapore route on Fridays. [ cite press release | title =DFW Welcome Singapore Airlines Cargo | publisher = Singapore Airlines Cargo | date = 31 October 2001| url =http://www.siacargo.com/news311001.asp | accessdate = 2007-05-10 ] It became the first third-country freighter airline to fly direct between China and the United States on 22 May, 2003 when flights commenced from Singapore to Xiamen, Nanjing and onwards to Chicago. Return flights are operated from Chicago and Los Angeles to Nanjing. [ cite press release | title =Singapore Airlines Cargo Commences Direct China-US services | publisher = Singapore Airlines Cargo | date = 22 May 2003| url =http://www.siacargo.com/news220503.asp | accessdate = 2007-05-10 ]

In March 2004, a weekly New York City-Brussels-Kuwait-Colombo-Singapore routing was introduced. [cite press release | title =SIA Cargo Expands Freighter Fleet and Service Network | publisher = Singapore Airlines Cargo | date = 15 March 2004| url =http://www.siacargo.com/news150304.asp | accessdate = 2007-05-10 ]

Destinations

Singapore Airlines Cargo operates dedicated cargo flights to 36 destinations in 18 countries, of which 25 are served by both Singapore Airlines passenger aircraft and SIA Cargo aircraft. The airline also has scheduled cargo flights to 12 destinations, which do not receive service from Singapore Airlines passenger aircraft, namely: Nairobi, Xiamen, Macau, Kuwait City, Sharjah, Brussels, Anchorage, Chicago and Dallas. Sharjah and Brussels serve as hubs for the Middle Eastern and European regions respectively.

Additionally, as SIA Cargo manages the cargo holds of all Singapore Airlines passenger aircraft, the company offers cargo product services to all destinations on the Singapore Airlines passenger network.

Fleet

When incorporated in 2001, all nine Singapore Airlines' Boeing 747 MegaArk freighters were transferred to the new cargo start-up at market value, and henceforth, all new freighter purchases were to be made from the new company's books. All cargo-hold spaces in the Singapore Airlines' passenger planes are also managed by the new company.

SIA Cargo currently operates 14 Boeing 747-400F MegaArk freighters. The Boeing 747-400 MegaArk freighter, with a 110-tonne payload and 8,245 km range, can carry more payloads further than any other commercial cargo aircraft, and feature typical capabilities such as front loading from the nose, temperature control and pressure-regulation systems. The average age of the freighter fleet was 6 years 5 months as at 31 March 2008 cite web |url= http://www.singaporeair.com/saa/en_UK/docs/company_info/investor/financial/NewsReleaseFY0708.pdf|title= Annual Report 07/08|accessdate=2008-05-18 |format= |work= ] .

In addition, the company manages the cargo holds of 100 passenger aircraft operated by Singapore Airlines. These offer 9-23 tonnes of cargo capacity per plane depending on aircraft type.

References

External links

* [http://www.siacargo.com Singapore Airlines Cargo]
* [http://www.aircargoworld.com/archives/feat1_jul01.htm Article about the airline's formation]

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