Menzies Aviation Cairns is a joint venture between Menzies Aviation and local aviation service provider AT Group. The new facility will be ready for international cargo handling in the first quarter of 2019.
Virgin Australia is the inaugural customer for Menzies Aviation Cairns with eight scheduled daily flights and four freighters per week. Cairns is a key location for the airline, as it is the origin and final destination for their east coast freighter services. This contract further extends the relationship between Virgin Australia and Menzies Aviation, which handles a substantial volume of domestic cargo for the airline in the major Australian cities.
The second Menzies cargo facility to open in Australia in 2018 is at Melbourne’s Avalon airport, where Menzies is the cargo terminal’s sole operator. Menzies will service Air Asia X’s twice daily flight between Kuala Lumpur and Melbourne Avalon, following the relocation of the route from Melbourne Tullamarine. Air Asia X is the inaugural international airline to transport cargo at Avalon airport.
The new cargo bases in Cairns and Melbourne means that Menzies Aviation’s global cargo network now totals over 30 facilities.
Forsyth Black, Chief Executive Officer, said: “The launch of Menzies Aviation in both Cairns and Melbourne Avalon represents a significant step in strengthening our cargo service portfolio and network in the Oceania region. Leveraging relationships with key airline partners to build scale across our network is central to our cargo strategy, and we are delighted that Virgin Australia and Air Asia X have chosen us as their trusted cargo partner in such a crucial location for the airlines.”
