Air Hong Kong, the first all-cargo freighter airline based in Hong Kong, and its customer DHL Express, have celebrated the successful completion of a seven-year re-fleeting programme.

With the arrival of the final, newer A330F freighter, and the retirement of the last A300-600F freighter, Air Hong Kong has now transitioned into an all-Airbus A330F airline, marking a new phase in its nearly 40-year history.

Air Hong Kong, which is a part of the Cathay Group, first began operating the A300-600F on behalf of DHL Express in 2004, providing operations for the express all-cargo carrier and its key customer, DHL Express.

Over the years, the A300-600F fleet has carried close to three million tonnes of express cargo.

With the completion of the re-fleeting programme, Air Hong Kong now operates an all-A330F fleet comprising 14 aircraft in total, including 10 A330-300P2Fs and four A330-200Fs.

Compared with the A300-600F, the newer A330F provides 25% more payload and volume enabling more cargo to be carried, in particular e-commerce shipments. It also has a longer range capability of 7,400 kilometres, which will help Air Hong Kong expand to new destinations including Bahrain and Sydney.

Clarence Tai, Air Hong Kong chief operating officer, said: “The A300-600F has been a stalwart of Air Hong Kong’s fleet and an important part of our story for over two decades. Its contribution to not only our business, but to the Hong Kong international aviation hub as a whole, has been considerable and we fondly bid farewell to this valued member of our fleet as we enter this exciting new chapter.

“The new-generation A330F brings with it considerable benefits that will enable us to further enhance our operations and services for our customers, and continue to play an important role in the ongoing growth of Hong Kong’s air cargo sector. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department, the Cathay Group, our people, our suppliers and our key customer, DHL Express, for their firm support which has made this re-fleeting plan possible.”

Peter Bardens, DHL Express senior vice president for network operations and aviation – Asia Pacific, said: “Balancing our customers and operational needs has always been top of mind for us. Our decision to re-fleet aircraft years ago reflects our foresight to invest in ourselves so that we are ever-ready to support our customers.

“The A300-600F was instrumental to our robust aviation network for many years. As we bid farewell to this valued member of our fleet, we are excited to welcome a new chapter with this new generation of freighters. We are confident that we will continue to deliver excellence in both our service capabilities and sustainability targets.”

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