China Air Pulls Out of Nashville

A China Airlines 747 will make its last flight out of Nashville Friday morning after eight years going back and forth from Taiwan.

The international cargo carrier had been running six flights a week into and out of Nashville International Airport, primarily bringing in Dell computer parts. The outbound flights have struggled over the last year to fill-up with goods headed to Asia. But sales manager Ron Pierce says tonnage going to the Far East has picked up.

“It’s more of the projections from factories in Asia coming to America for the 3rd and 4th quarter that is requiring China Airlines to make this decision.”

Pierce says China Air doesn’t project enough inbound cargo to warrant a special flight to Nashville. While a revived economy could bring the flights back, the company is dismantling its Nashville office.

UPDATED: A Dell spokesman says China Air’s decision doesn’t necessarily reflect production levels at its facility near the airport.

China Air was the only cargo carrier in Nashville with regularly scheduled flights directly outside the U.S.

WEB EXTRA:

Some of the cargo that has regularly come in on China Air may be rerouted through Atlanta and shipped to Nashville by truck.