On August 1, Jade Cargo International's first freighter touched down for the first time on the runway of its home base, Baoan International Airport at Shenzhen, South China at 5:15 pm local time. On July 31, the new aircraft with the Chinese registration B-2439 was handed over by the Irish Amentum Capital Leasing Company to Jade Cargo International after its delivery from Boeing Commercial Airplanes in Seattle, WA. The B747-400ERF took off at 12:37pm from the Boeing airfield heading for Shenzhen. The freighter was piloted by a Jade Cargo International flight crew on the 13 hour non-stop flight to China.
Jade Cargo International commenced operations with its first commercial flight to Amsterdam on August, 5. The freighter is scheduled to operate three flights weekly from its Shenzhen hub to Amsterdam-Schiphol as well as to Seoul-Incheon. In the coming days prior to the inaugural flight the aircraft will be used for training flight crews and ground staff.
Jade Cargo International's second Boeing 747-400ER freighter is due for delivery in November 2006. The airline has ordered a total of six aircraft of this type, which will enter service successively until January 2008.
