Saudia Cargo has begun operating a scheduled route between Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Melbourne, Australia.
The new route connecting King Khalid International and Melbourne International commenced on 25 July. It will cater to demand in both directions for cargo including perishables, pharmaceuticals, industrial equipment, and e-commerce goods, said the Jeddah-headquartered airline.
This route will be serviced by a Boeing 747-400 freighter with capacity of over 110 tons and nose-loading capabilities to accommodate heavy, oversized, and high-volume shipments.
Air Cargo News has asked Saudia Cargo to confirm how often flights will take place on the route.
The launch of the Riyadh-Melbourne route is part of Saudia Cargo’s international network expansion and follows the airline’s recent purchase agreement for four Boeing 777-200 freighters that will be delivered from the fourth quarter of this year.
Saudia Cargo’s current fleet already includes four 777Fs, according to data from Planespotters. The carrier also has four Boeing 747-400Fs, two of which are passenger to freighter conversions.
Last year, Saudia Cargo entered into a strategic agreement with ASL Aviation for the lease of two Airbus A330-300Fs.
These aircraft, both conversions, were delivered in February and April of this year, shows Planespotters’ fleet tracking information.
Last year, Saudia Cargo transporting more than 570,000 tons of cargo across its global destination network, although its cargo volumes declined by 0.8% to 573,000 tonnes across around 4,000 flights.
According to IATA, airlines based in the Middle East region lagged overall market growth of 3.4% last year, registering an increase of 0.3%.
