Southern Air and MASkargo Sign Strategic Partnership Agreement
Norwalk, Connecticut and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 7, 2010 – Southern Air Inc. and Malaysia Airlines Cargo Sdn Bhd (MASkargo) announced today that they have entered into a multi-year, multi-aircraft wet lease agreement. Southern Air and MASkargo executives are in Kuala Lumpur today for a ceremonial signing event to celebrate the launch of this new strategic partnership.
Southern Air initially will provide MASkargo with three Boeing 747 Freighter aircraft along with crew, maintenance and insurance. MASkargo also has an option to lease up to five aircraft, which will provide it additional flexibility to meet its customers’ growing demand for additional lift capacity and to develop the ability to service new markets.
“After a very comprehensive evaluation process, we have selected Southern Air to provide us with the freighter services capacity to meet our demands until the end of next year. As the air freight market has shown encouraging signs of growth in recent months, we are excited that we can offer our customers more value from our new partnership with Southern Air, one of the leading service-focused ACMI operators,” said Shahari Sulaiman, MASkargo Managing Director. “The addition of these aircraft, combined with Southern Air’s scalable operating platform, will allow us to respond to our customers’ growing capacity requirements and expand our important charter business.
Mr. Sulaiman continued, “The full freighter aircraft we are leasing from Southern Air have improved fuel burn efficiency, higher payloads, and are fitted with nose and side cargo doors. This will allow us to accommodate larger specialized and oversized cargo loads and expedite the loading and unloading process. These features translate into faster delivery times and expanded service capabilities for our customers.”
Southern Air Chief Executive Officer Daniel J. McHugh said, “We are thrilled to be working closely with MASkargo, Malaysia’s premier air cargo company and a leader in the Asia Pacific region, and we look forward to providing them with exceptional aircraft and superior service. We are delighted that MASkargo has chosen us as its strategic partner and provider of multiple aircraft solutions. This new partnership provides MASkargo the ability to leverage our industry-leading cost efficiencies and the opportunity to expand into our next wave of Boeing 777 Freighter deliveries.”
The Boeing 747s that Southern Air is delivering to MASkargo will showcase Southern Air’s new livery, designed to reflect the speed and efficiency that is central to the company’s value proposition.
About MASkargo
Malaysia Airlines Cargo Sdn Bhd (MASkargo), the air cargo division of Malaysia Airlines, operates four B747-200, two B747-400 and one A300-600 freighter covering the world's major cargo hubs. It also offers belly space capacity on Malaysia Airlines passenger fleet serving almost 100 destinations worldwide.
At KLIA, its home base is the Advanced Cargo Centre, a 108-acre complex designed specially for MASkargo's sophisticated state-of-the-art cargo handling facilities and recognized as major regional cargo hub.
About Southern Air
Southern Air Inc. is a leading US (N registered) air cargo carrier specializing in the provision of block space and aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance (“ACMI”) services. Southern Air operates a fleet of 16 Boeing 747 Freighter aircraft and is the first ACMI operator in the world to operate the new Boeing 777 Freighter. Its first two 777 Freighters began service in the first quarter of 2010. The company has plans to operate up to six 777 Freighters. For more information about Southern Air, visit: www.southernair.com.