Tasman Cargo Airlines (HJ, Sydney Kingsford Smith) has applied to the Australian government's International Air Services Commission (IASC) for permission to operate an additional weekly frequency on the Australia-Hong Kong country pair. The application, if successful, would see the carrier operating seven roundtrips per week.
Tasman Cargo Airlines began its Hong Kong cargo service in March 2024 using a B777-200F wet-leased from Kalitta Air (K4, Detroit Willow Run). Last month, the IASC, which hands out capacity entitlements to Australian carriers to operate on international routes, granted the airline permission to add a sixth weekly roundtrip to the original international airline licence agreement. The July 10 application indicates that Tasman Cargo Airlines wants to operate its seventh weekly flight between Melbourne Tullamarine and Hong Kong International using either a B777-F or a B767-300F.
"We consider this a long-term solution for Tasman Cargo Airlines and request a possible approved period to be as long as possible," the application reads. "With a seventh weekly frequency, we would be able make more use of own metal and reduce dependency of our current wet lease partner."
Separately, Tasman Cargo noted that it had recently added a replacement B767-300F to its fleet - VH-FKX (msn 37807) - which arrived on an operating lease from DHL International in early June, replacing a B767-300F wet-leased from DHL Air (D0, Nottingham East Midlands). In addition to flying between Melbourne and Hong Kong, Tasman Cargo also operates scheduled services on the Sydney-Hong Kong, Melbourne-Singapore Changi, Sydney-Auckland International, Melbourne-Auckland, and Christchurch-Auckland city pairs.
