UNITED Airlines has arranged a quasi-charter service with a small cargo airline that flies narrowbody freighters from Puerto Rico to feed its Chicago hub, reports New York's FreightWaves.

The transaction is noteworthy because of the supply chain benefits for businesses, the fact that United Cargo is supplementing capacity with a narrowbody freighter for the first time.

Puerto Rico is the top bioscience manufacturing centre in the US by export volume. United Airlines is one of the largest air transport providers for temperature-controlled pharmaceutical shipments.

The ability to use direct cargo jets instead of limited lower-deck storage on standard passenger aircraft, or routing large containers on a daily widebody flight through United's Newark, New Jersey, hub gives customers more capacity and better shipping options, according to executives involved in the deal.

Miami-based Global Crossing Airlines, a startup carrier with four Airbus A321 converted freighters, two weeks ago began carrying shipments tendered by United's cargo division from San Juan to Chicago O'Hare International Airport.

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