But Dr Andreas Otto, Lufthansa Cargo’s executive board member for product and sales, says it is still discussing with Boeing when the first freighters will be delivered, with delays of at least “a few weeks” expected. Privately, Lufthansa Cargo officials say the delay will be at least three months, however, and even Otto admits that the carrier will not add significantly to Lufthansa capacity in 2009.
Despite the delays – caused by the recently-ended Boeing machinists strike – Otto insists that all the “key project issues” are on track at Aerologic, with the first pilots already recruited, and the network due to be finalised by the end of the year.
He says the joint venture will not be affected by DHL’s recent withdrawal from the US domestic market, because flights are due to be focused on routes to Asia. Service details are due to be finalised within weeks.
IMG46-2 Flights during the week will be for DHL, with Lufthansa filling any spare capacity – currently expected to be around 25 per cent of the payload. On weekends, Lufthansa will operate the freighters in its own right, and Otto says these flights would very likely come into Frankfurt, Munich or other European airports, rather than DHL’s Leipzig hub.
Asked how Lufthansa will be able to fill the extra freighter capacity in the event of the expected global downturn, Otto pointed out that Lufthansa is currently leasing between three and four extra freighters from ACMI operators such as World Airways. “So we could obviously play with that capacity, but in any case, the extra flights will be at the weekend, which is the most attractive time to have capacity,” he said.
Aerologic is due to get a further four B777-200LRFs in 2010, with three more coming by 2012.
