TNT edges towards global 747 network

TNT Airways is expecting to launch its first scheduled longhaul freighter services next month – part of a plan to develop a global 11747 freighter net work.
The green light from the South African authorities will see a three or four-times weekly B747 flying between TNT’s Liege hub and Johannesburg.
“We think approval is imminent, and we maybe able to launch next month,” said MD Niky Terzakis.
TNT has been flying once or twice a week to Johannesburg on a charter basis, through Atlas Air, since October, but has applied for the aircraft to be registered in Belgium and has been training its own crew on B747s
“There ma he a period when we are flying on an ACMI (wet-lease basis, but our intention is to lease just the aircraft frames. A(Ml is not a long-term solution, either in
terms of economics or regulations.
TNT’s plan is to develop a longhaul schedule to link with its European express network through a developing partnership with Atlas Air, whose new hub concept and Partnership Program offers Atlas customers shared use of its freighters.
TNT is using Atlas Air “fractional freighter” capacity to three destinations in the US. but is working on setting up its own freighter services there too.
“We do not pretend we can fly all over the world in these big birds and fill them ourselves, but we like to he in control of the processes wherever possible, said Terzakis. “It saves time and reduces costs to be able to fly directly from our hub to the markets we want to serve.
lie said the partnership with Atlas would include other services and potential synergies, such as IT and trucking.
Terzakis said the planes had been flying
full to South Africa, with other airlines, including Emirates, taking advantage of maindeck capacity.
“The ACMI and partnership arrangement with Atlas means we can share capacity with otherAtlas customers, giving us the chance to try out new destinations wit Hut having to commit to a full freighter,” he said.
Terzakis is looking to add other destinations inAfrica, with Nair hi the most likely next destination.
• Emirates cargo director Ram Menen said he saw no conflict of interest in a capacityshare arrangement, as long as space was not offered to forwarders. Even then, the boundary hetween integrators. forwarders and airlines was blurring.
“It is a new concept, hut so far our experience has been positive,” he said. “It allows smaller carriers to participate in maindecktype loads.”