Wexco Cargo and China Airlines (CI) have agreed a two-year extension of their long-standing UK general sales and services agent (GSSA) partnership, reinforcing a collaboration that has been in place since 2012 and continues to underpin China Airlines’ cargo presence in the UK market.
The renewed agreement, effective from this month, covers belly-hold cargo on passenger services, dedicated freighter operations, and road feeder services, providing integrated connectivity between the UK and Asia via London Heathrow Airport (LHR), Luxembourg Airport (LUX) and Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (TPE).
The extension reflects China Airlines’ continued confidence in Wexco’s commercial and operational management of its UK cargo activities, while supporting sustained access to key Asian markets including Hong Kong, Bangkok and Manila.
A partnership built on operational depth and adaptability
Since the partnership began more than a decade ago, Wexco has worked closely with China Airlines’ teams across multiple hubs to adapt and expand the carrier’s cargo offering in response to market change. This has included supporting freighter services via Luxembourg, managing road feeder operations from the UK, and optimising belly-hold capacity on passenger flights operating from Heathrow.
China Airlines currently operates five direct passenger flights per week between London Heathrow and Taipei, complemented by freighter services routed via Luxembourg and supported by regular road feeder services. This integrated network provides UK shippers with reliable access to CI’s broader Asian cargo network.
Throughout the partnership, Wexco has also played a key role in navigating periods of disruption and structural change. This included supporting China Airlines’ “preighter” operations during the Covid-19 pandemic and adapting road feeder services to meet new customs and regulatory requirements following Brexit.
“China Airlines and Wexco truly define how tangible collaboration delivers optimal performance and long-term success,” said Des Vertannes, managing director of Wexco, part of Kales Group B.V. “A shared focus on solutions-driven outcomes and a customer-first approach has enabled us to deliver a consistently high standard of service for the UK market—something both companies are extremely proud of.”
Confidence in representation and service quality
China Airlines executives highlighted the strength of the partnership and the value of continuity in a complex and competitive cargo environment.
“We have always felt that China Airlines is excellently represented by Wexco in the UK and that our customers are in very good hands,” said Alan Price, cargo sales and services head of Europe at China Airlines, based in Luxembourg. “We value Wexco as a trusted partner on both a professional and personal level and expect the relationship to continue to grow and succeed for many years to come.”
At the local level, the collaboration has also been credited with ensuring service consistency and operational reliability.
“China Airlines London is proud to work closely with Wexco,” said Mandy Kwok, London Airport Manager at China Airlines. “Their exceptional support enables us to provide seamless and dependable cargo operations to the markets we serve. This close cooperation remains the foundation for delivering high-quality service to our UK customers.”
Looking ahead, the two-year extension will see the partnership move beyond the 15-year milestone during its term, underlining the depth of trust between the two organisations.
“This extension reflects the diligence and commitment shown by both teams, as well as the continued confidence China Airlines places in Wexco to safeguard and enhance the airline’s brand in the UK,” Vertannes added. “We look forward to building on this strong foundation and achieving further milestones together.”
