In preparation for the annual Beaujolais Nouveau launch in which this year’s vintage will be celebrated around the world on the third Tuesday in November, Cargolux Airlines will again operate a number of maindeck cargo flights to bring the eagerly anticipated beverage to consumers.

For 30 years, Cargolux has been a reliable part of the Beaujolais shipment process and an important supplier of air freight capacity in the French market, it said. The airline has seen strong growth in France and has established itself as the number two cargo carrier in the country. For Cargolux, France is the third most important European market, after Germany and Italy.

Building on a strong relationship with customers in France and Japan who appreciate and rely on the high‑quality service Cargolux offers, the airline operates four flights between 3-8 November 2016. In the past, the French Beaujolais wine growers’ union has stipulated that the release of the wine for transportation was limited to the second Thursday in November, one week before the tasting day. Since 2009 though, the transportation window was extended by one week, giving Cargolux the opportunity to offer capacity at preferred rates to its customers.

Cargolux operates its Beaujolais Nouveau flights mainly to Japan and China. Japanese consumers especially have a strong taste for the light wine and Japan remains one of the major export markets. China has discovered the tradition during the last 10 years, giving Beaujolais growers many new business opportunities. Cargolux’s Chinese hub in Zhengzhou sees increasing importance for the Beaujolais distribution in Mainland China.