Press Releases
With CAAC approval, FedEx becomes sole US-based all-cargo carrier with China aviation rights
Hong Kong, January 29, 1996 - Federal Express Corporation (FedEx)
announced today that the company has been issued an operating permit by
the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) to operate a
US/China all-cargo route. The granting of the permit and all necessary
licenses provides official recognition by the CAAC for the status of FedEx
as the only US-based all-cargo carrier to hold these rights.
The inaugural flight for the new route authority, using a FedEx 747-200
aircraft and flight crew, is scheduled for early March 1996. The flight will
originate in New York on a route that includes Chicago, Anchorage,
Beijing, Shanghai, and a return to New York via Anchorage.
"As the only express operator to fly our own aircraft into China, we now
have all three sides of the iron triangle in place," said Brooke Harwood,
FedEx's managing director and general manager of China operations.
"These three critical ingredients for providing consistent express freight
and document transport are rapid customs clearance ability, reliable pick-up
and delivery capabilities within China, and now, reliable international
line-haul using our own aircraft linked to our regional and global
networks," he said.
Michael Ducker, senior vice president of Asia Pacific operations, added:
"Together these ingredients give FedEx a unique and unmatched ability to
serve Chinese and other customers even more reliably and efficiently."
Mr Ducker also said that the new US-China routes will add another
important link in FedEx's extensive network, commenting: "China is a
crucial market for us, particularly with its economy forecast to see robust
growth well into the 21st century, and with its air cargo industry
expanding annually at over 20 per cent (versus an estimated 6.6 per cent
annual growth for world air cargo)."
The US Department of Transportation approved the company's purchase
and transfer of Evergreen International Airlines, Inc.'s all-cargo route
authority serving China in August 1995.
The operating permit issued by the CAAC allows FedEx to fly to three
destinations in China and includes the rights to schedule four flights per
week on routings that include traffic stops in Asia.
FedEx's long-term plans for the China market include linking the China
flights to the company's FedEx AsiaOne network centered in the Subic Bay hub
in the Philippines. The company will also be adding express service
destinations within China, which will increase the total cities served by
FedEx to 59 by June 1996. FedEx also plans to expand the use of electronic
customs clearance at the request of China Customs.
FedEx currently serves the Asia Pacific market with nearly 3,000 employees
located in over 30 countries and territories. The company provides the
most extensive trans-Pacific air lift of any major competitor. Operating its
own widebody aircraft, including the MD-11, DC-10 and the A310 Airbus,
FedEx operates more than 150 flights per week in overnight delivery to 11
major Asian commercial and financial centers.
FedEx serves 210 countries, providing fast and reliable package delivery for
nearly 2.4 million items each working day. The company has over 119,000
employees, over 530 aircraft, 35,000 vehicles and nearly 180,000
Powership® and FedEx ShipTM automated shipping systems in its
integrated global network. It handles more than 380,000 calls and 30
million electronic transmissions daily. FedEx reported revenues of US$9.4
billion for its 1995 fiscal year.
|
