As the cargo load factor has fallen to below 65 per cent from 75 per cent, CAL and EVA intend to store three and two Boeing 747 cargo planes in the desert, respectively, the first time the nation’s air carriers have decided to put planes in storage because of disappointing operating results.
Both carriers said they had yet to decide how long the cargo planes would be stored, but would immediately resume cargo services when the economy recovers and orders increase.
Taiwanese carriers, which ship primarily high-tech and precision materials and products, have been struggling with declining cargo orders as global trade has dropped amid the ongoing financial crisis.
Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) statistics showed that the nation’s air cargo volume had dropped to less than 100,000 tonnes in December, from a level of 150,000 tonnes per month in the past.
CAL, which owns the world’s largest fleet of Boeing 747 cargo aircraft, said nearly half of its revenues were generated from 20 cargo planes with revenues from cargo services reaching NT$53.6 billion (US$1.57 billion) in 2007.
CAL said its cargo volume dropped substantially in the fourth quarter of last year as it saw a yearly decrease of 50 per cent in December, which worsened from a yearly decrease of 10 per cent in September.