Cathay Pacific Airways announced today that it will launch a new market in Europe with a new scheduled freighter service to Zaragoza, Spain on 15 November, with flights departing Hong Kong every Tuesday and Friday. The new freighter destination will be operated as an extension of one of the airline's existing freighter services flying from Hong Kong to Delhi, then onward to Amsterdam and Zaragoza, returning to Hong Kong via Dubai.

With this new service, Cathay Pacific will be the first and only airline operating a freighter service linking India and Spain, bringing to five the number of European destinations that shippers in India can choose from, including Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London and Paris.

Cathay Pacific Director Cargo Nick Rhodes said: "We are pleased and proud to be able to expand our operation into Spain, a fast-growing market as a result of the recent growth of the garment industry. The market has great potential, with Spanish companies looking to expand further their business in Asia.

"In addition to serving Zaragoza, we will also develop other major Spanish destinations by providing a trucking service from the city to Barcelona, Madrid and other key commercial centres," Mr Rhodes added.

Cathay Pacific is committed to expanding its freighter network and has recently added new services to Bengaluru in India and Chongqing and Chengdu in Western China. The airline has recently taken delivery of its first Boeing 747-8F freighter aircraft, with three more to be delivered before the end of the year.