Hof-Plauen is located right in the center and heart of Europe - an "absolute locational advantage"
Press release 14.12.22
Hof - Already since 2007 there is the cargo airline Fleetair International FKT from Hungary has been in the skies since 2007. Specializing in small and express cargo, the airline is successfully established in the market and would like to expand further. Currently, three well-maintained, used ATR 72-200F aircraft are being purchased and will soon be put into service. The airline has already been carrying out maintenance on its aircraft at Hof-Plauen Airport for three years. What initially appeared to be a somewhat clumsy maintenance operation has now become a professional and also international aviation maintenance operation. In addition to Ukrainians and Hungarians, the airline also employs people of other nationalities such as Norwegians or Dutch. In the meantime, the airline was also able to complete an important milestone at the Hof location: The airline has passed the audit of the EASA for aircraft maintenance according to EU standards and has now received the certificate.
This was reason enough for airport managing director Ralf Kaußler to travel to Budapest and congratulate Alexander Timofeev, the managing director of the cargo airline, and his entire team. However, Kaußler did not only travel to the airline's headquarters for this reason. A new long-term contract is intended to bind the airline to the airport and at the same time ensure the economic as well as sustainable development of the flight and maintenance operations themselves in Hof.
In a friendly atmosphere, many details were negotiated and wrestled over for two days - with success! Fleetair International is taking a long-term lease on a hangar and in return will receive better conditions for some services. In return, the airline has also declared its intention to envisage a so-called "base operation" in Hof with aircraft and crew changes in addition to maintenance operations in the future and has committed itself to bringing more aircraft to Hof.
"Our company wants to continue to grow. In order for the plan to be successful, we rely on such great partners as Hof-Plauen Airport and its staff. Everyone does an absolutely professional job!", says Alexander Timofeev. Hof-Plauen Airport is located exactly in the center and heart of Europe - an "absolute location advantage, as we can reach Eastern as well as Western Europe from there with the same flight time," the airline boss continues.
Ralf Kaußler and Alexander Timofeev,
Managing Director of Fleetair International FKT
For Ralf Kaußler, friendly and businesslike cooperation is also at the heart of the partnership. "Fleetair International is also one of the most important customers for us as an airport company. With this contract, we want to promote not only a long-standing relationship, but also mutual success," Kaußler continued. "It also means that we now have to take the next steps, because empty flights to or from Hof are a nuisance for Fleetair, and not just ecologically."
For example, the airport is working with the Logistics Agency Upper Franconia to increasingly highlight and promote the advantages of freight flights from Hof in the future. "The freight load does not always have to travel the last mile by truck in order to be 1 euro per kilogram cheaper in freight costs," explains Kaußler. Sometimes a freight flight to the doorstep of Hof is also worthwhile, he adds. And the airport and the airline Fleetair International are perfect for this. "We create tailor-made offers for every customer, for every destination and for every type of cargo. The only requirements: the cargo must fit into our aircraft and the route is also flyable in terms of range!" says Timofeev.
In the future, Fleetair does not rule out expanding its business to passenger flights - including from the yard. "At present, the environment in the area of passenger traffic is still difficult, but we think that in a few years there will be changes and opportunities - especially with regard to new types of propulsion and emission-free flying," Timofeev is certain. Ralf Kaußler is not ignoring the fact that the airport will then also want to play its part: "We will be ready when the time comes and are watching the market closely. Until then, we will remain in good talks and will take care of the further development of our partnership," concludes Kaußler.