YTO Cargo Airlines (YG) – the aircraft operating arm of Chinese courier firm YTO Express – has appointed Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl) as its handling agent in Hong Kong.

YG commenced operations in Sep, 2015, and launched its newest route – Wuxi-Hong Kong – on January 29th, using a newly-acquired 30-tonne capacity B757-200F to operate the 4 x weekly service. The aircraft joins the airline’s existing fleet of 7 B737-300Fs, and further B757Fs are due for delivery during 2018.

Hactl is providing a one-stop-shop ramp- and terminal handling service for all YG flights through Hong Kong. Hong Kong is the airline’s first international destination, and it plans the addition of scheduled flights to Philippines, Russia, Japan, South Korea and Macau in due course.

YG’s parent, Shanghai-based YTO Express, is now the second largest network coverage parcel carrier in China (after China Post), handling 20 million parcels per day - mainly e-commerce goods. YTO Express is one of 14 partners that work closely with Alibaba’s Cainiao logistics subsidiary, which integrates multi-modal transport suppliers and express couriers across China, to achieve seamless delivery of express packages. The Cainiao network now averages around 42 million parcels per day.

Says Mr. Weijiao YU, Chairman & President of YTO Express: “We are very excited about our new services to Hong Kong, marking the beginning of the next stage in our global expansion plans. Hactl’s considerable experience in handling express operators and e- commerce shipments makes it our ideal service partner.”

Says Mark Whitehead, Chief Executive of Hactl: “We are very pleased to have been given the opportunity to assist YTO Cargo Airlines in this important stage of their development, and look forward to creating a successful partnership.”