In response to increased demand to fly everyday exports, the types of goods that were typically flown by air before the COVID-19 health crisis, American Airlines has scheduled 88 weekly cargo-only flights through June between the U.S. and Australia, mainland China and Hong Kong SAR, Japan and Korea – a record for the carrier.From June 3, American will operate four weekly flights between Los Angeles (LAX) and Sydney
(SYD) with Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Flights between the U.S. and Australia will transport lifesaving medical supplies and materials as well as Australian exports including mining machinery
and fresh produce.
“While American first started cargo-only flights to serve communities in need of critical medical
supplies, as factories reopen across Asia-Pacific we are seeing increased demand to fly the
types of exports we moved by air before the COVID-19 health crisis,” said Russ Fortson,
Managing Director of Asia Pacific Operations. “By facilitating the movement of goods between
markets, our team at American is proud to play an important role in getting economies moving
again.”
American uses modern fleets of Boeing 777-300 and 787-8/9 aircraft for its transpacific cargoonly flights. Being fuel-efficient and having significant cargo-carrying capacity, these aircraft are
optimal for hauling large loads of goods across the Pacific.
“Many of the places American flies to in Asia-Pacific – Beijing, Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai,
Sydney and Tokyo – are not only important parts of our network, but they are also significant
cargo hubs in their own right, making the airline well placed to respond to ever increasing cargo
demand,” said Fortson.
“Beyond June, with extensive health and safety measures in place, the team at American is
thrilled that they will be able to once again connect with customers on even more flights across
the Pacific. Caring for people onboard and at the airport is at the heart of what we do.”
American carries 2 billion pounds of goods annually in the bellies of its passenger aircraft,
making the airline a key player in the 35 percent of world trade that moves by cargo.
Asia Pacific operations from June 3
Origin Destination Frequency Aircraft
DFW HKG 1x daily 777-300
DFW* ICN 4x weekly 787-9
DFW** PEK 1x daily 787-9
DFW NRT 3x weekly 787-8
LAX HKG 1x daily 777-300
LAX NRT 3x weekly 787-9
LAX*** PVG 2x daily 787-9
LAX SYD 2x weekly 777-300
In March, American began operating its first cargo-only flights since 1984 between DFW and
Frankfurt (FRA). Since then, the airline has expanded cargo-only service to Asia-Pacific,
elsewhere in Europe and Latin America, and has transported tens of millions of pounds of
medical supplies, telecommunications equipment and electronics to support communities
impacted by the COVID-19 health crisis around the globe.
