Jade to take flight in August
Start-up Chinese freight airline Jade Cargo International said it will begin operations in early August after it receives its first freighter, a Boeing 747-400ER.
Jade initially will serve Amsterdam and Seoul three times per week from its cargo hub in Shenzen, China.
Jade is a joint venture between Shenzen Airlines (51 percent), Lufthansa Cargo (25 percent) and a German financial services firm. It is believed to be the only Chinese airline with a foreign ownership stake. It originally planned to start operating in 2005, but subsequently changed the target date to mid-2006.
The airline said it expects to take delivery of its second 747 freighter in November. It has ordered a total of six 747-400s from a leasing company.
“We will rapidly expand our route network and serve intra-Asian, European and American destinations,” said Rudolf Tewes, Jade Cargo’s managing director.