Asia Freight Volumes Rise

Cargo and mail traffic on Air China increased 11.7% in the first quarter of 2007 to 256,000 metric tons. Cargo load factor fell 3.7 points to 51.7%. (Cargo load factor measures actual volume against available capacity.)

In other China-related cargo news, freight volumes moving between China and Kazakhstan are forecast to reach 25 million metric tons in 2009, up from 12 million metric tons in 2006. This follows a U.S. $1 billion investment in a new railway line and a freight station funded by the Kazakhstan government. The value of the trade represented by those freight volumes is estimated to reach U.S. $30 billion by 2010.