A wise man once said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. At Cathay Cargo digital transformation has been an area of focus for several years and we are now entering the next phase of our journey with an overhaul of our website. For us, that first step is an update to the membership area of the Cathay Cargo website, which will make it easier for you to log in and manage your account. In the months ahead we will be introducing a series of enhancements designed to support you.

Digitalising our user experience begins with this first step, and it also enhances the overall security of our site. It will be followed at the start of next year with a more comprehensive “manage my booking” experience – as requested by customers. We’ll keep you updated as we introduce more enhancements.

Peak preparations: increased frequencies and a new freighter route

Elsewhere, we’ve been preparing for the peak season for many months and it’s now in full swing. We’ve been navigating uncertainty throughout this year and while there has been significant frontloading we are confident there will be a significant uptick in demand in Q4.

The whole industry has had to cope with a lot this year, but it has adapted and adjusted to keep air cargo moving and so too has Cathay Cargo. Our passenger network has continued to grow providing more capacity for our customers and we have retained our freighter network and frequency to the Americas despite the uncertainties. In fact, for the peak we will add a further four services a week. We’re also seeing growth in demand to Europe and, in response to customer demand, we are commencing a freighter service to Madrid from 13 October. We’re confident of strong support here to complement the other European points, and that this new seasonal service will provide new opportunities, including connections to and from South America.

Looking further ahead to the start of next year, we’re excited to be flying more elite event horses for the second year of the Hong Kong International Horse Show, of which we are a founding partner. It’s set to be a bigger, better and more exciting show.

Read more: How we flew 65 of the world’s best horses to Hong Kong

The new Air-Land Fresh Lane to the Greater Bay Area

Some exciting news for perishables shippers and forwarders this month. Under the new Air-Land Fresh Lane programme, fresh produce shipments can travel onwards from Hong Kong International Airport by refrigerated truck under a single air waybill, headed to their final destinations in the large consumer market of the wider Greater Bay Area (GBA).

Under the programme, consignments are issued with a “transhipment certificate” by Hong Kong Customs, allowing for a seamless transit via the new refrigerated Customs facility at Zhuhai. We can see high-quality perishable cargo finding new and exciting markets in the GBA with this new process, alongside the assurance of our Cathay Fresh solution.

Read more: The Cathay Fresh gateway to the Greater Bay Area

Hosting Asia Fruit Logistica delegates

Perishables were also in focus at the Asia Fruit Logistica showcase, which was once again a fantastic event. We were pleased to welcome customers to our own booth which really set Cathay Cargo at the heart of the fruit business. We also hosted a group of important customers and shippers at Cathay City for drinks and a short business briefing. It was great to catch up and understand producers’ requirements.

The day before the show, we also arranged a trip to Zhuhai to see the new Customs facility that underpins the new Air-Land Fresh Lane. We were delighted so many people wanted to see it and perhaps given the opportunities in the GBA, it was not surprising that we had such strong interest in our tour.

Read more: Cathay Fresh to the fore at Asia Fruit Logistica

Managing disruptions, whatever the weather

Disruption is an unwelcome but inevitable part of the business, and this summer’s typhoons and ‘black rain’ events in Hong Kong really tested our responses and put our teams under extreme pressure. We’ve had two T10 typhoons, the second of which, Super Typhoon Ragasa, saw Hong Kong International Airport suspend operations for 36 hours. Prior to then, we saw 10,000 lightning strikes in a single day during a Black Rain event. Our teams had to shelter inside, despite their desire to keep our cargo moving.

On these occasions, the strength of our people is underpinned by the systems that support them. What stands out to me through every disruption is the energy and focus that our teams have to take care of our customers’ cargo and keep it moving. This summer saw a fantastic effort by the dedicated Cathay Cargo team who handled all the challenges that were thrown at them with great care and determination.

Read more: How Cathay Cargo weathered typhoons and black rain storms