Maersk Air Cargo applies for UK operating license

Maersk Air Cargo has applied for an operating license from the UK Civil Aviation Authority.

The application, made on April 12, was revealed in a document published by the authority on April 23.

“Maersk Air Cargo Limited (company number: 06503461) has applied to operate charter and scheduled flights between any combination of points, within the terms of the holder’s Air Operator’s Certificate,” said the document, available on the authority’s website.

According to the application, Maersk Air Cargo Limited has a Manchester-registered address.

Maersk told Air Cargo News (ACN) that the UK Air Operator Certificate (AOC) application has been made to “support our ongoing business activities in Europe and the UK”.

The company added that operations will be served with 767F aircraft but did not provide any further details on its plans.

The application follows Maersk Air Cargo’s announcement in November last year that it would operate a trial service between Bournemouth Airport in the UK and Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport (HGH) in China until the end of 2023 to help meet peak season demand, with potential to expand the timeframe of the service. ACN is waiting for clarification from Maersk on whether this service has been extended.

Maersk launched Maersk Air Cargo as a business in April 2022 and Maersk Air Cargo launched operations at the end of October 2022, with scheduled flights between the US’s Greenville-Spartanburg Airport in South Carolina and Incheon Airport in the Republic of Korea (South Korea).

The airline has since made steady progress in expanding its network.

In March 2023, the airline began scheduled flights to Hangzhou, China from Billund Airport in Denmark.

The following month it introduced two new US-China routes between Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport and Shenyang Taoxian International Airport and Chicago Rockford International Airport and Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport.

Maersk also further grew its US airfreight business last year with the launch of new airfreight gateways near Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson International Airport and Los Angeles International Airport.

The airline currently has a fleet of around 25 freighters, although several of these are operated on behalf of express firm UPS. The fleet currently comprises 767Fs, although the airline is due to take delivery of two newbuild 777Fs this year.

By Rebecca Jeffrey
Source: Aircargonews