Panalpina chief sees big impact from new Chinese airlines
International forwarder and airlines should not ignore the expected impact of new Chinese airlines in the marketplace, warned Bruno Sidler, president and chief executive officer of Panalpina.
“The Chinese carriers are yet to make an impact,” the forwarder executive told the Air Cargo Forum of the International Air Cargo Association.
“Chinese carriers are making huge investments in capacity — they will come into the market as low-cost carriers,” Sidler said.
Xianping Wang, consultant with GCW Consulting, said many new airlines have been established in China, including private-sector and joint venture airlines. The authorities of Shanghai are also pushing the development of Shanghai as a cargo hub and allowing more fifth cargo rights to non-Chinese airlines, he added.