Asiana Airlines Partners with ECS Group to Continue Belly Cargo

[Financial News] Asiana Airlines announced on the 6th that it will continue its Belly Cargo business in partnership with ECS (European Cargo Service) Group. The Belly Cargo business is a method of transporting cargo using the lower space of passenger aircraft. By utilizing existing passenger routes, it is possible to provide high punctuality and fast delivery service.
According to Asiana Airlines on the 6th, Asiana Airlines began receiving services necessary for the overall Belly Cargo freight transport, including sales, reservations, customer support, and ground handling linkage, from ECS Group starting from the 1st of last month.
Previously, the two companies signed a contract on July 11th for the agency of air cargo sales and transport services. The contract includes 33 major locations in 9 countries, including Europe, America, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia.
Asiana Airlines completed the sale of its cargo business unit on the 1st of this month in response to the corrective action requests from the European Union (EU) and Japanese competition authorities to address monopoly concerns. This is to further specialize logistics services through the Belly Cargo business. ECS Group is the largest global air cargo sales and transport agency (GSSA) in the industry, collaborating with over 100 airlines in more than 60 countries worldwide.
Asiana's main aircraft model, the A350-900, can load up to approximately 18 tons of cargo and luggage in the lower fuselage space. Asiana Airlines plans to actively respond to logistics demands that require high punctuality and urgency, such as semiconductor parts, fresh food, and small express cargo, as the main cargo for Belly Cargo transport.
An Asiana Airlines representative said, "By combining ECS Group's global network with Asiana's expertise, we will proactively respond to the global air logistics market," and added, "We will continue to provide systematic and professional services."
Asiana Airlines transported approximately 158,000 tons of international Belly Cargo using passenger aircraft last year.   


ggg@fnnews.com Kang Gugu Reporter