Thai Airways International participates in Air Cargo China 2004 Exhibition

Thai Airways International is participating in the Air Cargo China 2004 exhibition. More than 39,000 people and various organizations such as airlines and commercial mail businesses are expected to participate in the event. The exhibition is being held from today to 14 May at the Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC), in Shanghai, China.

Mr. Chanchai Singtoroj, THAI's Managing Director, Cargo and Mail Commercial Department, said that the main purpose of the Air Cargo China 2004 exhibition is to support Thailand and Chinas' free trade agreement policy.

At this event, THAI will set up a booth on Suvarnabhumi Airport promoting the airline's cargo and commercial mail department. At the new airport THAI Cargo has an international cargo area of 90,000 square meters, and during the first phase will be able to handle approximately 966,000 tons of air cargo per year. The handling capacity will expand to 1,226,000 tons per year by 2010.

There are plans to introduce a Customs Free Zone in order to reduce the customs process and prepare Bangkok to be a major cargo hub of Asia. Moreover, "THAI Cargo, Thai Care", the new advertising slogan of THAI's Cargo and Mail Commercial Department and its new strategies and services will be presented at THAI's exhibition booth. 

Today, THAI operates to seven destinations in China, those being Shanghai, Beijing, Kunming, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and the newest destination Jinghong (Chiangrung). Thailand and China currently have strong air transportation potential, which will continue to grow for the next 20 years. In 2002, air cargo transport in China was over 16.2 billion tons, which ranked number five in the world and increases annually.

Air Cargo China 2004 is a significant air transportation exhibition, which was established by Air Cargo Week magazine and is held on an annual basis. Last year's exhibition was held in Munich, Germany under the theme Air Cargo Europe 2003. Over 39,000 people and several organizations participated in the exhibition, such as airlines, industries, and commercial mail businesses. This year, the exhibition is being held in Shanghai, the largest business and industrial city in China.