In other action, Avianca expects to double its cargo under the United States Free Trade Agreement. Fabio Villegas Ramirez, president of Avianca/Taca Holding said: "We are aiming specifically at the cargo business as well as increased demand, which the FTA will have in our markets. As far as TACA is concerned, we are acquiring aircraft with 70-ton capacity, the first of which will arrive in December 2012, and we will be looking to follow the demand for cargo at different airports in the country."
Cargo carrier Yangtze River Express has introduced a three-times weekly freight service between Shanghai and Paris with stops in Chengdu and Prague. The route is expected to bring between 20,000 and 25,000 tons of cargo into Europe, mainly high-tech and perishable goods, which previously had to be transported to Beijing and Shanghai before transit to Europe. The route is being served by a Boeing 747-400F.
