DHL and Lufthansa Joint Venture Takes Off

The new airline has taken delivery of its first Boeing 777F aircraft. The freighter is the first of eight AeroLogic is leasing. It expects delivery of the first four during the remainder of the year. The new airline will serve air routes between Asia and Europe, flying freight for Lufthansa and DHL customers.

Environmentally friendly, the B777F has a maximum payload of 103 tons and can fly more than 9000 km, enabling non-stop flights from AeroLogic’s home base in Leipzig, Germany, to key Asian growth markets, reducing length of time for shipments.

Growth on the Europe-Asia trade lane is anticipated being 5% annually. The initial express route is Leipzig–Bahrain–Singapore–Delhi–Leipzig on weekdays and Leipzig–Tashkent–Hong Kong–Tashkent–Leipzig on weekends. By 2010, the airline will gradually expand the network to offer new direct connections to most of Asia’s major metropolitan areas.

Commenting on the joint venture, Frank Appel, Deutsche Post DHL CEO, says, “In light of an inevitably recovering market, the strengthening of vital trade lanes through the cost-efficient shared use of the most modern freighter aircraft currently available must be viewed as a smart investment.” In agreement, Wolfgang Mayrhuber, CEO of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, notes, “The new airline shows a strong commitment of both partners to extend their services for their customers and to establish a new strong global player in the industry.”