Freighter operator Hong Kong Air Cargo (HKAC) has appointed Hakan Bulat as its new president, effective 3 March.
Bulat has worked in the air cargo and logistics business for more than 20 years and has experience in senior leadership roles.
Prior to taking up his current role, he was chief executive of Hong Kong-based logistics solutions provider WE World Express for more than five years.
He has also worked as executive director of PAL Express Limited; regional sales and marketing manager, Asia Pacific at Turkish Airlines Cargo; and in various roles at Jade Cargo International.
“We are excited to welcome Hakan Bulat to the team and are confident in his ability to lead the airline towards continued success in the air cargo sector,” said Tony Ma, chairman of Hong Kong Air Cargo.
Bulat said in a LinkedIn post on 3 March: “I am grateful to Hong Kong Air Cargo board to grant me this opportunity and looking forward to expanding our horizons together with the amazing Hong Kong Air Cargo team.”
Ma Yunpeng became the chairman of HKAC in October last year.
Bulat’s appointment comes as the airline aims to expand its global network. Last month, the airline began flying to Glasgow Prestwick Airport (PIK) in Scotland.
Last year, the airline expanded its route network to capitalise on e-commerce.
In October 2024, HKAC launched a route between Hong Kong International Airport and Birmingham Airport in the UK.
In September last year, the airline launched a new route between Hong Kong and Budapest in Hungary. The airline also began a freighter service to Oslo in the same month as it looked to benefit from demand for seafood products in Asia.
In March 2024, the carrier launched a service to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Shortly before, in February, the company began operating new routes to Liege in Belgium and London Stansted.
Only in October 2023 did HKAC start operations in Europe for the first time with a service to Milan Malpensa.
HKAC currently has five A330-200Fs that are dry leased from its parent company Hong Kong Airlines, plus an EFW-converted Airbus A330-300P2F that is on ACMI lease.
By 2027, HKAC aims to have 15 aircraft – comprising owned and aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance (ACMI) leased aircraft, confirmed former president and chief operations officer Captain Clifford Hung in an interview with ACN last year.