Cathay Pacific Cargo will increase its US presence with the start of twice-weekly Boeing 747-8 Freighter services to Portland from 3 November.

Portland, in the state of Oregon, will be Cathay Pacific’s 18th cargo station in the Americas, and will operate on a Hong Kong – Anchorage – Los Angeles – Portland – Anchorage – Hong Kong route on Thursdays and Saturdays.

The service will cater for demand of semi-finished footwear and apparel, electronics and perishables from the Portland area to Asia. Portland is fast becoming a hub for e-commerce related shipments for the Pacific Northwest region.

Cathay Pacific director cargo, Simon Large says: “The Americas is a very important market for Cathay Pacific and we are delighted to add Portland to our expanding freighter network.”

“We are committed to providing the best cargo services connecting Asia to this important manufacturing region, and at the same time boosting Hong Kong’s standing as one of the world’s key international airfreight hubs.”