State media announce merger of China's three biggest cargo carriers

Airline cargo carriers Air China Cargo, China Cargo Airlines and China Southern Cargo will merge to form the largest freight transport firm in Asia, Reuters reported, citing state media. Xinhua reported civil aviation administration deputy administrator Zhou Laizhen had confirmed the plans, while another report on the site of party mouthpiece People’s Daily quoted Zhou as saying the companies were pushing ahead with the merger–though one of the carriers’ heads said otherwise. “As far as I know, I am not aware of this development and I have never heard of this news,” said Titus Diu, the chief operating officer of Air China Cargo.