One of the world’s largest commercial freighters, the Cathay Pacific Boeing 747-8F was welcomed at Manchester Airport on Thursday, as it landed from Hong Kong.
The new aircraft will fly on a regularly on the Manchester-to-Hong Kong route and can carry more than 130 tonnes of cargo.
Graeme Ferguson, commercial director for cargo at Manchester Airports Group, said “We are delighted to see Cathay Pacific upgrading its Manchester service to the B747-8F,” “This aircraft offers greater capacity and capability, and complements MAG’s commitment to encourage sustainable and more environmentally-friendly aircraft operations. Cathay Pacific has been a long-standing and very important cargo customer to Manchester Airport, and we look forward to the benefits this brand new aircraft will bring to Cathay Pacific and its UK cargo customers.”
Manchester Airport is the third largest airport in the UK. 60 percent of all UK businesses are within a two-hour drive of the airport.
Andrew Roe, Cathay Pacific’s cargo manager for UK & Ireland, said “Cargo is a major part of our business which is carried on our fleet of 26 B747 freighters and in the bellies of our passenger aircraft through our Hong Kong hub to over 40 freighter and 85 passenger destinations,” he then went on to say “Our range of products offers to our customers an array of options from outsized and specialized freighter cargo to pharmaceutical and temperature-controlled solutions. The addition of the B747-8F on to our UK schedule will help us to continue to offer outstanding service to our customers.”
Manchester Airport handles around 100,000 tonnes of freight every year. It also holds the World Freight Terminal, a site that offers air cargo and logistics planes easy access to the airfield.