NCA and mas enter Block Space Agreement to strengthen trans-Pacific routes

Nippon Cargo Airlines (NCA) and Aerotransportes Mas de Carga S.A de C.V. (mas) today announced a Block Space Agreement effective from the IATA Winter Season 2025. The collaboration will allow both airlines to utilize each other’s flights, enhancing cargo connectivity and providing expanded services on key Asia–Mexico routes.

Under the agreement, NCA will leverage mas-operated flights to provide cargo services on the Los Angeles (LAX) – Guadalajara (GDL) and Los Angeles (LAX) – Mexico City (MEX) routes. Conversely, mas will be able to utilize NCA-operated flights on the Narita (NRT) – LAX and LAX – NRT routes, strengthening its access to Asia and providing new opportunities for customers to move cargo efficiently between Mexico and Japan.

Hiroyuki Homma, President and CEO of NCA, said, “By partnering with mas, NCA can better accommodate customer needs and strengthen our global network. The Mexico market continues to show steady demand in the automotive and electronics sectors, and cargo volumes between Asia and Mexico are growing. We expect this partnership to further expand our presence in the Mexican and Latin American market, and we will continue exploring additional collaboration opportunities with mas.”

Robert Van De Weg, CEO of mas, added, “We are pleased to be able to extend our network in partnership with NCA, who are well known for their service reliability and performance. This new service will allow us to serve our customers into Japan and other Asian destinations better.”

The agreement is expected to enhance both airlines’ operational efficiency, allowing them to offer more flexible scheduling and increased cargo capacity without the need to operate additional flights independently. For NCA, this partnership strengthens its position in the growing Latin American market, where demand for automotive and electronics cargo continues to rise. For mas, access to NCA’s Asia network opens new opportunities for shipments from Mexico to Japan and other major Asian hubs.

Industry analysts note that block space agreements like this are increasingly popular in global cargo aviation, allowing carriers to optimize fleet utilization, expand market reach, and enhance service offerings while controlling operational costs. Both NCA and mas are well-positioned to leverage this partnership to meet growing cross-Pacific cargo demand and respond quickly to evolving customer requirements.