Lufthansa Cargo is to operate freighters from its south hub at Munich for the first time from 6 July with a twice-weekly A321F flight with Istanbul. Munich is already an important centre for Lufthansa’s bellyhold capacity and the airport authority has been pushing the carrier to add all-cargo capacity for some time.
Lufthansa Cargo operates a total of 38,000sq m at Munich including a CEIV-certified Pharma Hub MUC. Until now, these have mainly been transported from the Bavarian capital to destinations all over the world via the belly capacities of Lufthansa, Brussels Airlines, Discover Airlines, Austrian Airlines and SunExpress passenger aircraft, or by road feeder. #
Lufthansa Cargo chief executive, Ashwin Bhat, said: “For our southern German customers in particular, Munich Airport offers ideal conditions for the fast and reliable transportation of air freight. With the launch of our cargo operations out of Munich, we are laying the foundation for aligning our network even more closely with the needs of our customers in the future and continuing to manage it flexibly.”
Chief executive of Flughafen München, Jost Lammers, added: “The launch of regular cargo flights to Istanbul by Lufthansa Cargo is very good news for the Bavarian export industry and for Munich Airport. Above-average growth rates in the current year have already shown that Munich Airport is also becoming increasingly important as a hub airport for cargo. The attractiveness of Munich Airport as a cargo location will now receive a further boost through Lufthansa Cargo’s commitment.”