Throughout 2023, the Asia-Pacific region demonstrated strong performance, with carriers in the region seeing a 4.2% year-on-year increase in demand, ahead of Middle Eastern and Latin American airlines.

With a growing number of markets offering significant potential and the e-commerce market out of China driving cargo operations in the region, carriers are looking to capitalise on the opportunities in the region.

“2023 was a rollercoaster. We’ve seen ups and downs in the cargo business,” MASkargo’s CEO Mark Jason Thomas, said. “Emerging markets are offering significant potential, as investors expand networks and form strategic partnerships.”

Asia to Europe

MASkargo is among those that have built a strong regional presence, focusing on its fleet composition to tap into both the freighter market and passenger destinations. With the Airbus A330, the carrier is well-prepared for delivering on a number of key routes, while exploring opportunities in Europe and the Middle East.

“The key factor is agility, allowing us to make swift changes and operate efficiently in markets where demand is high. We are sensitive to the needs of our customers, looking for the option to make better connections,” Thomas explained. “These ventures test our agility, and if proven viable, we are ready to commit and pursue them further.”

For example, MASkargo has recognised the growing connectivity between the APAC region and Europe, a route that saw a 50% year-on-year increase in belly capacity in 2023.

“We currently operate in Amsterdam, recognising the city’s extensive network of trucks connecting to various parts of Europe,” Thomas continued. “We are committed to maintaining our focus on Amsterdam, leveraging its robust infrastructure, having established partnerships with reliable logistics providers to facilitate expansion into Europe.”

Growing competition

As the figures show, the APAC region has seen growing airfreight demand, bringing with it increased interest from airlines, cargo handlers and logistics companies. This growing focus on the region has forced companies to adapt to continue offering a competitive service. 

 “For us, No man is an island,” Thomas stated. “We learn from each other. We learn best practices. We learn what’s new in the market. We share our experiences, our knowledge. It is key for us to evolve in the future.”

With the limited capacity of the cargo fleet that MASkargo has, they recognise that competition offers collaboration. Over the past year, and particularly in the post-pandemic landscape, this approach has been well-received. 

“The only way forward is to invest or form partnerships,” he added. “We should not limit ourselves to not wanting to work with our competitors. I think friendly competition will benefit the customers and we should not lose focus on that.” 

Net zero ambitions

MASKargo has a number of key levers driving sustainability initiatives as part of a group-wide effort, such as operating the first Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) flight from Amsterdam to  Kuala Lumpur, making significant strides in environmentally friendly air travel and this is a first for the Southeast Asian region. Additionally, they have been involved in operating open SAF flights in Malaysia and Singapore. Moving forward and through the group-wide sustainability initiatives, the use of SAF will be introduced into more scheduled services.

“These sustainability and societal initiatives are part of a broader embrace Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) policies across the industry,” Thomas explained. “With green issues being highlighted at conferences and in conversations, customers want to know your plans.” 

“In terms of the environment, we’ve got a whole lot of initiatives in place, including actively refitting aircraft to build a more fuel-efficient fleet, reflected in their focus on the A330 and on acquiring new, sustainable aircraft,” Thomas continued.

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