Latin America Business: Avianca Cargo freighter
turbo-charges DFW's global
ambitions
An A330-200 freighter can make a huge difference,
well beyond its payload, and for Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW),
it was the elusive, final piece in a strategic puzzle and a game–changer.
The game changed with the start of a twice-weekly freighter
service by Avianca between Bogota and DFW on 2 October.
According to the airline, the operation has been
successful so far; profitable on all rotations and particularly strong on the
northbound sector, where it carried over 800 tonnes of cargo – primarily
perishables – to its new US gateway on the first 12 flights.
The distribution of these northbound loads reveals
the flight’s importance for DFW beyond its payload. Some 49% continues beyond
the airport to other parts of the US, 40% goes on to Asia and 11% to Europe.
It is the portion that heads to Asia that is of the
greatest importance to the airport authority, and this is precisely what DFW
has been striving for.
“We think it is a validation of the strategy we
have been working towards,” said John Ackerman, the airport authority’s
executive vice-president, global strategy & development.
DFW’s long-term objective has been to establish
itself as a gateway for flows between Asia and Latin America. This plan was the
reason why handling firm DNATA opened a 37,000 sq ft cargo terminal at the
airport last year, with 18,000 sq ft of cool chain infrastructure to build up
flows of perishables through DFW.
“We see DFW as an important alternative to Miami,”
Mr Ackerman said. For one thing, some carriers have been talking about risk
diversification, he added.
A strong factor is geography. For cargo that does
not transit from a flight out of Latin America to a plane departing for Asia,
the longer trucking distance from Miami to gateways with freighter connections
to Asia gives DFW a strong advantage. Compared with a routing that involves a
trucking leg from Miami to Los Angeles, a transfer at DFW can shave up to five
days off transit times, Mr Ackerman said.
For Avianca’s customers, transit times from Bogota
to Asia are three to four days, noted Diana Mejia, marketing coordinator for
Avianca Cargo.
The rapid growth of the airport’s immediate
catchment area, and of business in Texas, has drawn freighters from Asia to DFW
over the years. Armed with these and the cooler to place perishables between
their connecting flights, the airport was close to its objective, but lacked a
freighter connection to Latin America, notwithstanding its bellyhold capacity
to the region, courtesy of American Airlines.
“It’s difficult to be taken seriously as a gateway
between Asia and Latin America if you don’t have a freighter,” Mr Ackerman
said. He expects to see a catalytic effect from Avianca’s operation, sending
out a signal to the rest of the market. “I think it’s hard to overestimate
this,” he said.
To date, Avianca has struck up interline agreements
with 11 airlines that fly to Asia, including freighter as well as passenger
carriers. The list may well grow before long.
“We are in discussions with Avianca for an
interline programme connecting their freighter to Nippon Cargo Airlines to
Japan and other parts of Asia,” said Shawn McWhorter, president of NCA
Americas.
“I think this is a great opportunity for the demand
for perishables to Japan, and DFW helped create the perishables centre. At DFW
we can easily store perishables at the proper temperature while they are
waiting to connect. This is a product we hope to develop with them to offer to
our customers.”
The airport authority continues to work hard to
drum up support for the new freighter link. Mr Ackerman’s team has spent a lot
of time in Latin America talking to shippers to understand their requirements,
and it is also talking to importers in Asia about sourcing from Latin America.
In addition, there is solid material support from
waived landing fees for the first two years, to financial support to market the
new flights.
“DFW has proven to be an excellent airport partner
in the development of another hub in the US that permits inflows of cargo to
and from Latin America and Asia as well as to service the south, centre and
west of the US market,” said Carlos Arango, commercial director at Avianca
Cargo.