DRB-HICOM To Add Three Cargo Aircraft In Five Years

[flee 5]

SEPANG, March 24 (Bernama) -- DRB-HICOM Asia Cargo Express (ACE), a wholly-owned unit of KL Airport Services Sdn Bhd (KLAS), plans to add three cargo aircraft in five years to its present fleet of two.

DRB-HICOM Bhd Group Managing Director Datuk Seri Syed Faisal Albar said ACE, an entity of DRB-HICOM, is currently operating two Boeing 737-400F aircraft, each with a cargo capacity of 18.5 tonnes and a flying radius of 4.5 hours.

"We want to add a freighter aircraft by the year-end and two more within five years to extend our air cargo business beyond Malaysian shores," he told reporters after Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai launched the company's new livery and logo for its freight service here Thursday.

On the Malaysian logistics industry, Syed Faisal was optimistic it would register double-digit growth this year.

"The Malaysian logistics industry was estimated to increase 12 per cent, year-on-year, to RM180 billion this year.

Earlier, in his speech, he said the 2016 Agility Emerging Market Logistics Index ranked Malaysia fourth ahead of Saudi Arabia, Brazil and Indonesia.

Meanwhile, KLAS Group Chief Executive Officer Rani Hisham Samsudin said ACE also planned to expand its freight service to Manila, Hong Kong, Macau, Saigon and other Vietnamese cities in the near future.

"For the international route, we will start flying within a month from now.

"It all depends on the demand. We will fly to any city located within a 4.5 hours flying-radius from Malaysia," he said.

ACE, which was acquired by KLAS in February 2015, is the main service provider for Pos Malaysia, the national postal service.

[Raj 0]

I wonder what aircraft will they add. Possibly more B734F or look for a narrow body?

[Radzi 2]

B734 is a narrowbody