Korean Air is flying high at the top of the global rankings for commercial airline cargo operations for the fifth consecutive year in 2008, according to World Air Transport Statistics compiled by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

During 2008, Korean Air recorded 8.822 billion FTK (freight tonne-kilometres), topping the chart for international scheduled freight tonne-kilometres, followed by Cathay Pacific and Lufthansa.

Korean Air attained the number one spot for the first time in 2004 and has been one of the world's top three freight carriers since 1993.

The key elements that have driven the airline's number one results for the past five years are network expansion, new market development, unified freighter operations and excellent service management.

Korean Air launched freighter service to Navoi airport in Uzbekistan last August and increased frequencies this May.

Eyeing potential growth in Central and South America, the carrier has secured a foundation to further develop this market by expanding partnerships with local carriers. For prompt and safe operations, Korean Air has unified its freighter fleet to all B747-400F aircraft and has continued to boost customer satisfaction by thorough quality management.

To accommodate potential cargo demand, Korean Air enlarged cargo-handling capacity at its Incheon hub by increasing Terminal 1's annual capacity from 1.03 million tonnes to 1.35 million tonnes and adding a new Terminal 2 with an annual capacity of 260,000 tonnes.

To capitalise on high-potential growth in the Central Asia market, Korean Air has partnered with the Uzbekistan government to jointly develop the Navoi International Airport, positioning the airport as a logistics hub for Central Asia. The carrier has been taking a significant role in various aspects of the project, including cargo terminal construction, facility expansion and airport management.

"We have continuously expanded and upgraded our services to meet customers' needs through strong cargo operations," said Chang Hoon Chi, senior vice-president of Korean Air's Cargo Division.

"Rather than reminiscing about past achievements, we look towards the future and strive to accomplish our goal to be the number one commercial cargo carrier for 15 years by 2019."