Singapore to fly cargo to Atlanta

By Kelly Yamanouchi

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Singapore Airlines Cargo will begin service to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport today, providing a bright spot in the mostly gloomy air cargo market.

The weekly cargo flights with 747-400 freighter aircraft will operate from Singapore to North America, then to Europe and the Middle East before returning to Singapore.

It’s the first “around-the-world” freighter to fly to Hartsfield-Jackson, according to airport officials.

Singapore Airlines Cargo will be the 12th all-cargo carrier at Hartsfield-Jackson.

Cargo operations have been down significantly this year amid the recession. For the year through July, Hartsfield-Jackson had a 23 percent drop in cargo volume compared with the same period of 2008. Passenger traffic had a much smaller decline of 2.8 percent during the same period.

Hartsfield-Jackson officials have been making an effort to attract more cargo business. They recently joined with Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport to propose that Dubai-based Emirates SkyCargo and Etihad Airways start a cargo route from United Arab Emirates to Atlanta and on to Dallas.

According to the airport, a weekly cargo flight contributes about $10 million of economic impact to the regional economy annually.