Ground handler LUG aircargo will take over freight handling operations for Etihad at Munich this month, and will assume the carrier’s Frankfurt Airport operations in March. Etihad entered into a code-share agreement with Lufthansa between the same airports late last year, creating the potential for Lufthansa freight to move between Germany and Etihad’s Abu Dhabi hub, en route to Asian markets, potentially expanding the scale of LUG’s operations as well.
Etihad Airways currently operates two widebody passenger flights per day to each of the German airports, either A330-300s or -200s, with up to 15 tonnes of belly-hold freight capacity. In addition, Etihad runs a weekly A330-200F and 777-200F into Frankfurt each week.
LUG’s agreement with Etihad covers all cargo-handling services – including freighter, belly cargo and road-feeder services – for Etihad Airways and Etihad partners, such as Air Berlin.
“We expect a freight throughput of some 50,000 tonnes per year,” said Patrik Tschirch, managing director and CEO of LUG aircargo handling. “This gives the company a strong push. The national carrier of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with headquarters in Abu Dhabi, is our first customer in the Middle East.”
Those interested in learning more about air freight in 2017, should join us at Cargo Facts Asia in Shanghai, 25 – 26 April. To register, or for more information, go to CargoFactsAsia.com