China Cargo Airlines has postponed until April plans to launch scheduled freighter service to Miami, which will make it the first Chinese carrier to operate between the city and mainland China.
Worldwide Flight Services had announced in December that the all-cargo airline would begin three weekly flights this month, utilizing Boeing 777s, from its base in Shanghai to Miami International Airport and had awarded WFS a three-year contract to process shipments between aircraft and logistics customers.
The inaugural flight has been pushed back until April 2, said Indira Almeida-Pardillo, a spokeswoman for the Miami-Dade Aviation Department, without giving a reason for the delay.
“We don’t have any definitive information to share with you,” said Sunny He, a marketing and sales representative at China Cargo Airlines, in response to a reporter’s query.
China Cargo’s fleet consists of 14 Boeing 777 cargo jets. Flights to Miami will carry a range of shipments, including e-commerce, electronics, and seafood and other perishable items.
The airline operates 18 freighter services per week to Los Angeles International Airport and 20 flights per week to Seattle, many of which continue on to Chicago and JFK airport in New York.
In November, a CCA cargo jet was forced to return to JFK shortly after takeoff because a bird strike disabled one of the two engines.
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