Hactl wins new Virgin Atlantic Cargo contract

Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl) has been appointed as cargo ground handler for Virgin Australia’s new services from Melbourne to Hong Kong. Hactl will provide terminal handling and all documentation.

The five-times-weekly flights began on 5 July, using Airbus A330-200 aircraft with 14 tonne belly-hold capacity. Cargo sales on these Virgin Australia flights will be marketed by Virgin Atlantic Cargo, which also sells space on Virgin Australia’s existing long-haul services from Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne to Los Angeles.

Hactl has handled cargo on Virgin Atlantic’s daily flights between Hong Kong and London Heathrow since they began in 1994.

Virgin Atlantic Cargo’s Managing Director, John Lloyd, said: “We welcome this opportunity to be extending our long-standing working relationship with Hactl.”

Hactl Chief Executive Mark Whitehead, added: “There is strong demand for air cargo capacity from Hong Kong to Australia driven increasingly by e-commerce, and the new services are well-placed to tap into growing perishables traffic from Australia, destined for Hong Kong and China.”