Lufthansa Cargo and DHL Express launch cargo carrier

[Jens W]

Lufthansa Cargo and DHL Express launch cargo carrier
Flight operations with new aircraft of the Boeing 777 type to commence from Leipzig/Halle Airport in April 2009



Frankfurt/Bonn, 20 September 2007: Deutsche Post World Net and Deutsche Lufthansa AG are founding a joint cargo airline through their subsidiaries DHL Express and Lufthansa Cargo. The new company, based in Leipzig, in which DHL Express and Lufthansa Cargo each hold a 50 per-cent stake, will have the legal form of a private limited company (GmbH). It will focus on transporting airfreight and express shipments into and out of Asia. Flight operations are scheduled to begin in April 2009. With the launch of the new cargo airline, the two partners will further expand significantly their leading position in the airfreight, respectively, the express business.



Dr. Klaus Zumwinkel, Chairman Deutsche Post World Net and CEO said: “This is an ongoing development consistent with our intercontinental joint venture which we began in 2004. Deutsche Post World Net and Lufthansa, two of the world’s most successful and professional logistics operators are pooling their know-how in a new joint company. DHL will notably accelerate for customers the exchange of goods between Asia and Europe through market-leading transit times. That will also substantially strengthen Germany’s position as a logistics base and additionally spur the economic upturn in our Country.”



Wolfgang Mayrhuber, Lufthansa Chairman and CEO: “With the new cargo carrier, Lufthansa and Deutsche Post World Net are building consistently on years of highly successful business relations. The new company will not only strengthen Germany as an economic base but will also create additional, highly qualified jobs in the Leipzig region. Not least, our customers will profit from further improvements in the route network.“



The new cargo carrier will initially operate with eleven new Boeing 777-200LRF aircraft. The aircraft will be leased and are scheduled for delivery from February 2009. The cargo capacities of the new airline will be utilised by Lufthansa Cargo und DHL Express. The two partners will continue to take care of marketing and handling those capacities independently.



Pending the granting of traffic rights, the new airline will gradually expand its route network from the summer schedule 2009. On weekdays, it will be serving Singapore, Bangkok, Dubai, Bombay, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Seoul, Nagoya, Almaty, East Midlands and Milan.

At weekends, it will fly to Shanghai, Astana, Singapore, Bangkok, Sharjah, Hong Kong, Chicago and New York.



Aside from pure airfreight traffic, the two companies will each alone be responsible for warehousing and trans-shipment at Leipzig/Halle Airport. DHL Express will handle its express shipments in the newly built cargo centre. Lufthansa Cargo will shortly be building its own modern logistics centre right nearby.



Carsten Spohr, Chairman Lufthansa Cargo AG: "Joint utilisation of aircraft capacities will enable us to harness growth opportunities cost-efficiently. DHL will be commercially responsible for operating the express network with additional cargo from Lufthansa Cargo on weekdays. Flight schedules at weekends will suit the customer requirements of Lufthansa Cargo with onload freight on those flights from DHL.”



Charles Graham, Chief Executive Officer Aviation DHL Express, added: "With the new joint company, we will further improve express service between Europe and the Asia growth markets. We are thereby augmenting our global air network strategy. Our customers will profit from more capacities, better transit times and higher quality all-round.”



Management of the new airline will be taken over by Dr. Thomas Papke, formerly Lufthansa Cargo, and Thomas Pusch, previously at DHL. The name of the new company and its branding will be decided at a later date.











Press contacts

Deutsche Post World Net Deutsche Lufthansa AG

Corporate Communications – Press Office Media Relations

Tel.: +49 228 182 9944 Tel: +49 69 696 2999

e-Mail: pressestelle@deutschepost.de e-Mail: media-relations@dlh.de



Deutsche Post World Net is the world’s leading logistics group.

With the bundled logistics competence of its Deutsche Post, DHL and Postbank brands, the Group offers a broad portfolio of integrated services as well as customised and customer-focused solutions for the management and transport of goods, information and payments. It derives its strength from global reach and local know-how. Deutsche Post World Net is, simultaneously, a leading provider of dialog marketing, outsourcing and system solutions for the mail business. Group revenue in 2006 surpassed 60 billion euros. Deutsche Post World Net employs around 520,000 staff in more than 220 countries and territories, making it one of the world’s biggest employers.



DHL

DHL is the global leader in international and innovative mail, express and logistics services from a single source. DHL offers a peerless wealth of know-how for express and freight transports, contract logistics and international mail shipments, supported by a worldwide reach and a strong local presence. DHL’s international network links 220 countries and territories around the world. It employs a workforce of more than 300,000 employees dedicated to providing fast and reliable services that exceed customer expectations. The DHL brand is wholly-owned by Deutsche Post World Net.



Deutsche Lufthansa AG

Deutsche Lufthansa AG is a global aviation group with about 400 subsidiaries and afiliates. The Group operates in five business areas, centering on its core passenger transportation business. In 2006, the Lufthansa passenger airlines carried around 53.4 million passengers. The other business segments are logistics, MRO, IT Services and Catering. The entire fleet of the Aviation Group comprises around 500 aircraft. Together with SWISS and the regional carriers, flying on Lufthansa’s behalf, the Group operates more than 770,000 flights for its customers yearly. The Lufthansa Group currently employs more than 100,000 people. Revenues in 2006 totalled about 19.8 billion euros.



Lufthansa Cargo

Lufthansa Cargo ranks among the world’s leading cargo carriers. In 2006, the airline transported more than 1.76 million tonnes of cargo and mail, logging 8.1 billion tonne-kilometres. The Company currently employs around 4,600 employees, worldwide. It focuses on the airport-to-airport business. In a global network, the cargo carrier serves a total of around 450 destinations with its own fleet of freighters as well as by utilising the belly capacities of Lufthansa passenger aircraft. The bulk of the freight transported by Lufthansa Cargo is trans-shipped through Frankfurt Airport, Europe’s biggest air cargo hub. Lufthansa Cargo is a wholly-owned Lufthansa subsidiary. Revenues in the 2006 business year totalled 2.84 billion euros.

DHL och Lufthansa startar flygfraktbolag.doc (Word)

[Someone]

Og der kom ordren på 11 777F som var ventet