Halifax Stanfield airport adds lobster cargo carrier
More Nova Scotia lobster should be finding its way to Europe and Asia this Christmas as a result of a new cargo carrier that has set up shop at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport.
CAL Cargo Airlines can transport upwards of 110 tonnes of lobster on a flight
More Nova Scotia lobster should be finding its way to Europe and Asia this Christmas as a result of a new cargo carrier that has set up shop at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport.
CAL Cargo Airlines is headquartered at the Ben Gurion International Airport in Israel, but its main hub is located in Liege, Belgium, which is good news for the Nova Scotia lobster industry.
"Belgium is the hub for essentially our live lobster shipments into Europe. That will work well," said Geoff Irvine, the executive director of the Lobster Council of Canada.
He says that while the lobster industry has been in the European market for years, there is definite room for growth there.
"We're expecting big things from Europe as the tariffs are removed if that trade deal happens," said Irvine.
Irvine is referring to the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement ( CETA), a free trade deal between Canada and the European Union (EU).
Connecting service to Hong Kong and China
CAL Cargo Airlines's cargo flights to Liege will also offer connecting service to Hong Kong and Shanghai, China.
"Asia is a growing market, but growing rapidly," said Irvine.
Besides CAL Cargo Airlines, other lobster carriers that will be shipping out of the Halifax airport this Christmas season include Air Canada, CargoJet, FedEx, UPS and Korean Air Cargo, says an airport news release.
Depending on the type of plane used, CAL Cargo Airlines is capable of carrying upwards of 110 tonnes of lobster on a flight.