DIRECT cargo flights will be launched on March 28 next year between two airports in southwest China's Sichuan province and northeast France's Champagne-Ardenne Region, according to their agreement, reports Xinhua.

   Chinese cargo airline Yangtze River Express, a subsidiary of Hainan Airlines, is expected to operate five flights a week between the Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport and the Paris Vatry Airport, said Jean-Paul Bachy, president of the Champagne-Ardenne Region.

    Bachy said at the signing ceremony between the governments of Sichuan and Champagne-Ardenne that he hopes the new air route will benefit both sides and direct passenger flights can also be launched step by step.

    "It is a very important project of cooperation between Sichuan and Champagne-Ardenne, and we will work to ensure the air route is opened as scheduled," said provincial vice governor Huang Xiaoxiang.

    Paris Vatry Airport will focus on attracting French and other European exporters to the west-east leg of the route, while generating interest among other Chinese provinces to the prospect of a new freighter link with France.

    Paris-Vatry has been in the doldrums since 2009, when core customers DHL and cargo airline Avient left. Their departure was the major factor in driving down annual cargo traffic that year to 22,394 tonnes, a fall of almost 45 per cent on the record year of 2008.

    But Vatry backers now hope the China deal will set the airport will set it on the road to recovery and allow it to finally emerge as a secondary cargo hub to Paris Roissy-CDG.

source:www.schednet.com