More direct connections, greater flexibility and time savings combined with service enhancements - these are just some of the benefits customers will enjoy in the future thanks to the cooperation between the cargo division of Cathay Pacific Airways, the leading air cargo carrier in Asia, and Lufthansa Cargo, Europe's largest air cargo carrier.

Simon Large, Director Cargo at Cathay Pacific, and Peter Gerber, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board of Lufthansa Cargo, signed an agreement for a highly integrated bilateral cooperation in Frankfurt. With respect to the cooperation routes between Hong Kong and Europe, both airlines will in the future work closely together on network planning, as well as sales, IT and ground-handling. This will bring Hong Kong, the world’s busiest air cargo hub, closer to Europe, strengthening one of the world’s great trade lanes.

“Our joint network will cover more than 140 direct flights per week between Hong Kong and 13 European destinations”, says Simon Large. “Cathay Pacific’s large number of direct connections to multiple European destinations complements Lufthansa’s strength in Frankfurt, the most important European air freight hub, and in Europe through its dense feeder-network.”

“As a result of our joining forces, customers will gain access to unique flexibility with more flights to choose from and a combination of feeder and direct flights. In this way their cargo can reach its destination hours earlier”, explained Peter Gerber. “We will also have more options for shipments which have to be transported by freighter due to their size or properties.”

The cooperation will also focus on service enhancements. For example, customers will be able to access the entire joint network via the booking systems of both partners. Joint handling, initially at the Hong Kong and Frankfurt hubs, will also make things easier for customers since there will be just one point for export drop off and import delivery.

Both partners plan to transport the first shipments under the framework of the cooperation from early next year – initially from Hong Kong to Europe. The ability to also book eastbound shipments from Europe to Hong Kong will then follow in the course of the year.

The joint activities will be carried out in full compliance with all applicable laws, including the competition rules of the European Union and Hong Kong.

Cathay Pacific Cargo

Cathay Pacific Cargo is the leading air cargo carrier in Asia with its home base in Hong Kong. In the business year of 2015, the airline group carried a total of 1.8 million tonnes of cargo and mail. This was against a capacity increase of 5.4% and a 5.4% rise in revenue-tonnes-kilometres. The company currently operates freighter services to 46 destinations and also carries freight in the bellies of its 140-plus passenger aircraft that serve a growing global network. The company is going through a brand refresh with new livery to symbolize continuously efforts to deliver excellent service to our customers. The new livery will be progressively introduced onto all the aircraft in both its passenger and freighter fleets.

Lufthansa Cargo AG

Lufthansa Cargo ranks among the world’s leading air freight carriers. In the 2015 business year, the airline transported around 1.6 million tonnes of freight and mail and sold 8.4 billion revenue tonne-kilometres. The company currently employs about 4,600 people worldwide. Lufthansa Cargo focuses on the airport-to-airport business. The cargo carrier serves around 300 destinations in more than 100 countries with its own fleet of freighters, the belly capacities of passenger aircraft operated by Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines and Eurowings, and an extensive road feeder service network. The bulk of the cargo business is routed through Frankfurt Airport. Lufthansa Cargo is a wholly owned Lufthansa subsidiary of Deutsche Lufthansa AG.

Entering into commercial joint ventures with airline partners on key trade lanes is a core part of the “Lufthansa Cargo 2020” strategy. Lufthansa Cargo implemented a similar cooperation with All Nippon Airways (ANA) on routes between Europe and Japan at the end of 2014 and is planning an enhanced cooperation with United Airlines on transatlantic routes.