Air China Cargo and Canadian logistics company Braden-Burry Expediting (BBE) have signed a multi-year cargo handling agreement at Edmonton International Airport.
The inaugural flight will take off on 3 September and it will connect Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Edmonton and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. It is the first cargo flight BBE has handled to and from Asia.
Air Cargo China will use a Boeing 777 Freighter, serving Edmonton six times per week, three from Dallas and three from Shanghai.
Air Cargo China vice president, Ray Lo, says: “We believe BBE is the right fit for us as we expand our freighter operations into Canada, which will help build important trade links between the country, southern US and Asia.”
BBE president, Heather Stewart, says it is not only a very exciting opportunity for Air China Cargo and BBE, but also for the Edmonton region, connecting it with large diversified markets in China and Texas in the US. “The opportunities are endless for local importers and exporters dealing in those markets,” Stewart adds.
Edmonton International Airport president and chief executive officer, Tom Ruth, says it is great to see the investments that BBE is making in their business, including their new facility at Edmonton airport and in its cargo handling infrastructure, are all having an “immediate impact”.
The airport estimates that the service will generate Canadian $31 million ($23 million) per year for the region. The new service will also increase cargo capacity between the Canadian state of Alberta and Texas, helping firms move equipment, tools and products for the two destinations that are considered energy centres. It will be the only freighter service between Alberta and Texas.
