Asiana's US Cherry Transport Profitability Soars... "5,000 Tons Planned This Year"

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] Asiana Airlines announced on the 21st that it is strengthening cargo profitability through the transportation of special cargo such as cherries.

From April 29 to the 22nd of last month, Asiana Airlines transported a total of 1,778 tons of cherries from California, USA. From the 4th of last month to mid-next month, it plans to transport cherries produced in Washington State, USA, aiming to transport about 5,000 tons of cherries this year.

To increase the transportation capacity of cherries, a high value-added cargo, Asiana Airlines is operating flexibly by deploying charter flights and cargo-only aircraft converted from passenger planes on the LA, San Francisco, and Seattle routes. As a result, it achieved about 20% higher profitability compared to other cargo from the Americas.

Cherries are a key item driving cargo performance during the summer, which is the off-season for the air cargo market, and are expected to contribute to the improvement of Asiana Airlines' cargo performance in the 2nd and 3rd quarters.

Kim Kwang-seok, Head of Cargo Division at Asiana Airlines, said, "During the cherry express period, we established a hotline between headquarters and branches, strengthened local marketing, and checked the fresh food transportation system to ensure thorough cherry transportation," adding, "We plan to continue efforts to expand the transportation of high value-added cargo."

Last year, the company was the first in Korea to transport COVID-19 vaccines requiring cold chain logistics such as ultra-low temperature, frozen, and refrigerated transport, and in July this year, it transported about 264,000 doses of the 'Moderna' vaccine introduced in Korea. In the first half of this year, it also transported a total of 7,000 tons of US eggs. Asiana Airlines' cargo volume on the Americas routes in the 2nd quarter of this year recorded 71,869 tons, an increase of more than 19.8% compared to the same period last year.

Meanwhile, to overcome COVID-19, Asiana Airlines strengthened its cargo capabilities by converting four A350 passenger aircraft into cargo planes in addition to existing freighters, securing an additional round-trip transportation capacity of 46 tons per aircraft, and operated more than 120 flights in the first quarter, achieving additional sales of over 20 billion KRW.