YTO Cargo Airlines (YG, Hangzhou) will add at least three widebody freighters to its fleet by 2018 to assist in its international expansion plans airline chairman Yu Weijiao has said.
Speaking to the China Daily, Yu said the Chinese logistics specialist was preparing an application to expand its international operations for submission to the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) by the end of August.
"There is growing demand for fast and efficient international express services between Chinese manufacturers and foreign buyers, especially in emerging markets such as Africa, the Middle East and South America," he said.
At present, YTO Express operates cargo services throughout China using a fleet of two B737-300(F)s with plans to add several more. It also charters five additional freighters, in addition to utilizing belly space on domestic passenger aircraft. In September last year, it announced plans to acquire ten B737-800BCFs with first deliveries scheduled for 2018.
