The hangar at the Boeing plant in Seattle opened recently for the first freighter of Jade Cargo International. Almost complete, the B747-400ERF emerged resplendent in the Chinese airline's green and white livery after four days in the Boeing paint shop. As an international cargo carrier registered in the P.R. China, Jade Cargo International displayed its name in both Chinese characters and English letters along the aircraft's fuselage.

The handover of the freighter to Jade Cargo International and the ferry flight to the airline's home base in Shenzhen in southern China are scheduled for the last week of July 2006. The 111 tons payload aircraft with an intercontinental non-stop range still has to be fitted out completely. Prior to the handover to Jade Cargo International, the freighter will be put through a number of test flights in North American airspace.

Jade Cargo International's second Boeing 747-400ERF freighter is due for delivery in November 2006. The airline, which is based in China's Pearl River Delta, has ordered a total of six aircraft of this type, which will enter service successively until January 2008.

Jade Cargo International was founded as a joint venture between Shenzhen Airlines (51%), Lufthansa Cargo (25%) and DEG - Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft (24%). The airline currently has 120 employees.