The cargo arm of Singapore Airlines, SIA Cargo, has started a twice-weekly service from Chongqing to Singapore. The inaugural flight carried 60 tonnes of IT products, Xinhua reported.

The service using a Boeing 747-400 freighter will bring an extra weekly capacity of 180 tonnes to Chongqing airport. Frequency will be increased to daily from early next year.

SIA Cargo is the 10th cargo carrier to launch services from Chongqing. Chongqing Airport Group predicts that air cargo will exceed 220,000 tonnes in 2011. Some 80,000 tonnes will be international air freight, of which 80 per cent will be composed of IT products, mostly locally-made laptops.