China's Hainan Airlines has extended its general sales and services agent agreement with ECS Group in Europe by awarding a new contract to the company in Hungary and Austria.
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The two-year contract commenced this month and sees Globe Air Cargo, part of ECS Group, responsible for marketing the airline's scheduled services from Budapest to Beijing. Hainan Airlines' winter schedule operates three Boeing 767 passenger and cargo flights per week with a maximum freight payload of 12 tonnes per flight.


Overall, Globe Air Cargo expects to generate between 1,500 and 2,000 tonnes of cargo for Hainan in Hungary and Austria in 2011. Hainan Province is the largest special economic zone in China and ECS expects regular flows of cargoes such as pharmaceuticals, automotive parts and electronic goods.


The new contract extends the business partnership between ECS Group and the airline. Hainan has previously awarded ECS contracts in Belgium and Germany ' online stations in its network ' as well as for offline representation at other ECS offices across Europe.

L'szl' B'ta, Managing Director of Globe Air Cargo in Hungary, said: 'Hainan previously worked with two GSA companies in Hungary but our tract record of representing the airline in Belgium and Germany, combined with our ability to generate additional freight for its flights from Vienna, convinced them to appoint ECS. They have clearly recognised the value of working with a large network GSA partner at its major online stations in Europe. The airline plans to extend its frequencies to daily in the summer season and is looking at a further online route from Budapest. We are strongly-placed to support that expansion.'