ACE Belgium Freighters (Liège) has encountered opposition in its bid to start commercial cargo flights to the United States. US Department of Transportation (DOT) records show that a near-namesake carrier, Alaska Central Express (KO, Anchorage Ted Stevens), has objected to a May 2 DOT show cause order that tentatively granted the Belgian start-up a foreign air carrier permit.
Since securing its Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) on April 19, ACE Belgium has launched commercial operations using a single B747-400(F), with an initial focus on operating from Liège to Tel Aviv Ben Gurion. However, it also aims to launch services to the United States with four weekly flights from Liège to New York JFK and a weekly service to Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson, and hopes to add a second B747 freighter later in the year.
Alaska Central Express (ACE) notified the DOT in its submission that it had, through an intellectual property counsel, requested that ACE Belgium immediately discontinue its plans to provide air cargo services in the United States under the name ACE.
While admitting it is DOT policy that airlines resolve private disputes between themselves, Alaska Central Express stated that it had been using the trademark ACE Air Cargo for more than twenty years along with the registered marks "ACE to the Rescue!" and "Captain ACE".
ACE suggested that if the matter between the two carriers would not be resolved amicably, the DOT "should be prepared to bring enforcement action against ACE Belgium for unfair or deceptive practices" due to the potential for confusion "among the shipping public".
