Singapore Airlines Cargo will begin service to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Thursday, 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.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Euisun Chung, executive chair, Hyundai Motor Company, left, stands with Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp as Chung signs an IONIQ 9 EV vehicle during a media tour and grand opening at the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, March 26, 2025, in Ellabell, Ga. (Mike Stewart/AP)

Credit: AP

Featured

Army Sgt. 1st Class Randall Shughart (left) and Master Sgt. Gary Gordon both posthumously received the Medal of Honor for their heroic actions during the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993. Fort Gordon in Augusta has been renamed after Gary Gordon. (Katie Lange/DMA Social Media)

Credit: U.S. Army