CATHAY Pacific's vice-president of cargo in the Americas, Fred Ruggiero, has reported on a 'very strong year in the Americas so far' for the Hong Kong-headquartered carrier.
'Our monthly network performance has continued to grow from last year's base and July was a particularly strong month for transshipment volumes from the US via Hong Kong,' he observed. 'We have built good momentum and want it to continue.'
But, Mr Ruggiero warned of the potential problems to cargo volumes caused by the current threat to international free trade.
To date, he said, the biggest impact has been on maritime shipping, but he noted that any diminution in consumer confidence in the Americas or elsewhere would soon impact cross-border airfreight traffic, reports London's Air Cargo News.
But, while the danger of a more protectionist international trade environment is certainly a concern, Mr Ruggiero said he remains 'cautiously optimistic that the parties involved will find a way to make global trade work'.
In addition, he explained that having the ability to schedule aircraft according to demand is one of the benefits of having a large network. 'We are closely monitoring the situation and will remain agile.'
Cathay Pacific has elected to increase its US services from 32 to 39 freighter frequencies a week for the peak fourth-quarter season.
'We are optimistic about the year-end results,' he enthused, pointing in particular to contribution of the cargo carrier's expansion of operations through Oregon's Portland International Airport.
'In summer, we increased our freighter services to Portland from three to six flights a week to cope with demand from the cherry harvest,' Mr Ruggiero recalled.
'We're approaching our second year of operations there and the Port of Portland is very pleased with how our service has grown.'
Keith Leavitt, the Port of Portland's chief commercial officer, said: 'Cargo is very much part of our mission. Oregon is reliant on trade, and six of our top eight trading partners are in Asia. Our top five export partners in Asia - China, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea and Vietnam - represent more than 50 per cent of the international trade coming out of the state.'
For a port on the US West Coast, Asia is thus a crucial market, and the state of Oregon exports more than it imports. These were, Mr Leavitt remarked, some of the 'underlying attractions' for Cathay Pacific to start a freighter service to Portland in 2016.
That link has been expanded by Cathay Pacific since then, with additional services laid on in summer to deal with the export of soft fruits, particularly cherries.
Mr Leavitt is also expecting significant airfreight growth in coming years from e-commerce. 'Our team is fascinated with e-commerce. It feels as if we are in a transformational phase. It's still evolving and I think that will add demand for air cargo.'
And Cathay Pacific freighter connections out of the airport will play a key role in Portland Airport's airfreight growth, Mr Leavitt added.
'Our monthly network performance has continued to grow from last year's base and July was a particularly strong month for transshipment volumes from the US via Hong Kong,' he observed. 'We have built good momentum and want it to continue.'
But, Mr Ruggiero warned of the potential problems to cargo volumes caused by the current threat to international free trade.
To date, he said, the biggest impact has been on maritime shipping, but he noted that any diminution in consumer confidence in the Americas or elsewhere would soon impact cross-border airfreight traffic, reports London's Air Cargo News.
But, while the danger of a more protectionist international trade environment is certainly a concern, Mr Ruggiero said he remains 'cautiously optimistic that the parties involved will find a way to make global trade work'.
In addition, he explained that having the ability to schedule aircraft according to demand is one of the benefits of having a large network. 'We are closely monitoring the situation and will remain agile.'
Cathay Pacific has elected to increase its US services from 32 to 39 freighter frequencies a week for the peak fourth-quarter season.
'We are optimistic about the year-end results,' he enthused, pointing in particular to contribution of the cargo carrier's expansion of operations through Oregon's Portland International Airport.
'In summer, we increased our freighter services to Portland from three to six flights a week to cope with demand from the cherry harvest,' Mr Ruggiero recalled.
'We're approaching our second year of operations there and the Port of Portland is very pleased with how our service has grown.'
Keith Leavitt, the Port of Portland's chief commercial officer, said: 'Cargo is very much part of our mission. Oregon is reliant on trade, and six of our top eight trading partners are in Asia. Our top five export partners in Asia - China, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea and Vietnam - represent more than 50 per cent of the international trade coming out of the state.'
For a port on the US West Coast, Asia is thus a crucial market, and the state of Oregon exports more than it imports. These were, Mr Leavitt remarked, some of the 'underlying attractions' for Cathay Pacific to start a freighter service to Portland in 2016.
That link has been expanded by Cathay Pacific since then, with additional services laid on in summer to deal with the export of soft fruits, particularly cherries.
Mr Leavitt is also expecting significant airfreight growth in coming years from e-commerce. 'Our team is fascinated with e-commerce. It feels as if we are in a transformational phase. It's still evolving and I think that will add demand for air cargo.'
And Cathay Pacific freighter connections out of the airport will play a key role in Portland Airport's airfreight growth, Mr Leavitt added.