Helsinki-based Airline Services GSA OY ' the Finnish member of the EGSAC GSSA network - has been formally appointed as Finnish GSSA for newly-formed Aeroflot Cargo, after six years as a sub-sales agent for parent airline Aeroflot Russian Airlines.

In addition to Aeroflot's scheduled daily A319 belly-hold capacity from Helsinki which it previously marketed, Airline Services GSA now has access to Aeroflot Cargo's twice-weekly DC10 freighters for the first time; these route via Moscow Sheremetyevo to Beijing, and provide easy access to major Far East points including Tokyo (NRT), Shanghai (PVG), Hong Kong and Seoul.

Airline Services GSA will also continue to feed Aeroflot Cargo's 5 x weekly freighter services from Frankfurt Hahn, Germany, as these open up many points on the Aeroflot network throughout Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.

Says Airline Services GSA Managing Director Jari Aaltonen, 'The largest potential and most attractive market from Finland for Aeroflot Cargo remains Moscow. Finland has become an important transit point for cargo from other countries, and much of the cargo Aeroflot has been carrying currently originates outside Finland.'

Aeroflot Cargo provides the only main-deck capacity direct from Finland to Moscow and China, and this is expected to win it additional traffic where speed is a critical factor on larger shipments and pieces. The company is particularly targeting traffic that is currently trucked to Moscow.

Concludes Aaltonen, 'This formal appointment is excellent news, as it gives us around 20 times the available capacity to market. We will work hard with Aeroflot to demonstrate to the local airfreight industry that this is an excellent product. As confidence builds, we expect to dramatically increase the airline's market share here.'

Adds Aeroflot Cargo's Regional Representative ' Northern Region, Arild Jaabaek: 'We are delighted to have increased Airline Services GSA's involvement in marketing our product in Finland, following a long and successful relationship. We have a considerable commitment to Finland, and are confident that Jari and his team will provide the local support we need to maximize our potential.'

Airline Services GSA OY represents Aeroflot Cargo, Afriqiyah, Air Canada, Air Mauritania, Air Senegal, AirRep, British Airways World Cargo, Cameroon Airlines, Cielos Airlines, Corsair, CSA Czech Airlines, MNG Cargo Airlines, Singapore Airlines Cargo, SN Brussels Airlines, Ukraine International Airlines and Uzbekistan Airlines. It is the exclusive Finnish member of the EGSA GSSA network, which has 60 bases in 30 countries.