Hong Kong Air Cargo (RH, Hong Kong International) has wet-leased an A330-300(P2F) from galistair (Malta) (8S, Malta International) on a longterm contract. 9H-VDC (msn 958) was ferried into Hong Kong on June 10 and began revenue operations for the Hong Kong carrier two days later.
The 14.72 year old jet was acquired by galistair (Malta) in June 2022 on lease from CDB Aviation. It is the only A330-300(P2F) operating for Hong Kong Air Cargo, which otherwise relies on its five-strong fleet of A330-200Fs. "We are wet leasing this aircraft to compensate for the reduced operational capacity due to undergoing scheduled maintenance of our current fleet. The lease term is one year, with the option to extend it subject to authorities’ approval," a spokesperson for Hong Kong Air Cargo told ch-aviation. "The aircraft will not be dedicated to any specific client or contract but will enhance our deployment flexibility. This will allow us to maintain our existing network and explore new potential destinations."
The spokesperson also noted that there are restrictions on utilizing wet-leased aircraft from different authorities to operate flights, and that 9H-VDC will only be deployed onto certain routes within the carrier's network. ADS-B flight tracking data shows that since June 12, it has typically flown a Hong Kong - Manila Ninoy Aquino International and Hong Kong - Singapore Changi roundtrip each day.
Founded in 2017, Hong Kong Air Cargo is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hong Kong Airlines (HX, Hong Kong International), which the Liaoning Fangda Group acquired in 2021 from Hainan Airlines (HU, Haikou). According to its website, Hong Kong Air Cargo provides charter and scheduled flight services around the Asian continent, Europe, and recently started flights to Sydney Kingsford Smith.
Last August, the Hong Kong Air Transport Licensing Authority (ATLA) renewed the carrier's operating licence through to April 2027, giving it the right to operate scheduled cargo flights with unlimited frequencies to Dhaka, Kuala Lumpur International, Changsha Huanghua, Hangzhou, Shanghai Pudong, Zhengzhou, Osaka Kansai, Tokyo Narita, and Almaty International. ch-aviation schedules data indicates that the airline presently operates scheduled cargo flights to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, Chengdu Tianfu, Chennai, Delhi International, Dhaka, Hanoi Noi Bai International, Ho Chi Minh City, Manila Ninoy Aquino, Shanghai Pudong, Singapore, Sydney Kingsford Smith, Taipei Taoyuan, and Zhengzhou Xinzheng.
"In the future, Hong Kong Air Cargo will continue to actively explore new charter flights and scheduled routes, work closely with various partners to develop multiple products to meet market demand, and expand its network and fleet as the market demands," the website's company profile reads.
