Hong Kong Air Cargo wet-leases an A330 freighter from Galistair Malta

HONG Kong Air Cargo has wet-leased an A330-300(P2F) from Galistair (Malta) (GTR, Malta International) on a longterm contract.

The 9H-VDC (msn 958) was ferried into Hong Kong on June 10 and began revenue operations for the Hong Kong carrier two days later, reports Switzerland's ch-aviation.

The 14.72 year old jet was acquired by Galistair (Malta) in June last year on lease from CDB Aviation. It is the only A330-300(P2F) operating for Hong Kong Air Cargo, which otherwise relies on its five-strong fleet of A330-200Fs.

"We are wet leasing this aircraft to compensate for the reduced operational capacity due to undergoing scheduled maintenance of our current fleet. The lease term is one year, with the option to extend it subject to authorities' approval," a spokesperson for Hong Kong Air Cargo said.

"The aircraft will not be dedicated to any specific client or contract but will enhance our deployment flexibility. This will allow us to maintain our existing network and explore new potential destinations."

The spokesperson also noted that there are restrictions on utilizing wet-leased aircraft from different authorities to operate flights, and that 9H-VDC will only be deployed onto certain routes within the carrier's network.

ADS-B flight tracking data shows that since June 12, it has typically flown a Hong Kong-Manila Ninoy Aquino International and Hong Kong-Singapore Changi roundtrip each day.

Founded in 2017, Hong Kong Air Cargo is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hong Kong Airlines, which the Liaoning Fangda Group acquired in 2021 from Hainan Airlines (HU, Haikou). According to its website, Hong Kong Air Cargo provides charter and scheduled flight services around the Asian continent, Europe, and recently started flights to Sydney Kingsford Smith.

Last August, the Hong Kong Air Transport Licensing Authority (ATLA) renewed the carrier's operating licence through to April 2027, giving it the right to operate scheduled cargo flights with unlimited frequencies to Dhaka, Kuala Lumpur International, Changsha Huanghua, Hangzhou, Shanghai Pudong, Zhengzhou, Osaka Kansai, Tokyo Narita, and Almaty.