Lufthansa Cargo

• Airmail Center Frankfurt

  Airmail Center Frankfurt is a joint venture between Lufthansa Cargo (40%), Fraport AG (40%) and Deutsche Post (20%).

  The company provides an airmail transhipment service for Lufthansa Cargo and other airlines at Frankfurt and Munich airports. Airmail Center Frankfurt serves about 300 flights, handling incoming and outgoing mail as well as transit mail with an average total daily volume of 400 tonnes - packed by postal services worldwide in sacks, bags and containers.

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence
  
• All Nippon Airways

  Following approval from the Japanese antitrust authorities in June 2011 , All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Lufthansa launched a strategic joint venture on Japan-Europe routes.

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence
  
• Global Logistics System Europe (TRAXON)

  TRAXON Europe, based in Frankfurt, was founded in 1991 as a joint venture between Air France and Lufthansa Cargo. The company offers comprehensive electronic solutions for the air cargo industry.

  TRAXON Europe's global network connects more than 9,000 forwarding offices with about 100 international airlines.

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence
  
• HYACT

  Lufthansa Cargo owns 46% in cargo handling joint venture Hua Yu Air Cargo Terminal Co Ltd (HYACT).

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence

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  2008

  January - Lufthansa Cargo established a further joint venture air freight handling company in China. The new venture, in the north China business metropolis of Tianjin, was with Tianjin Airport Hua Yu Air Cargo Terminal Co Ltd (HYACT).

  The freight subsidiary of German airline group Lufthansa took a 46% holding in HYACT. The other partners were Taiwanese investor Hwa-Hsia International Holding Ltd (HHIH) with 49% and Tianjin Airport International Logistics Joint Stock Co Ltd (TAIL) with 5%.

  Management of the new handling joint venture would be in the hands of Ulrich Huesson. He was previously senior manager of customer relations and operations at the International Cargo Centre Shenzhen (ICCS).

  Lufthansa Cargo added that previously, the Tianjin region's international air freight had for the most part been handled at Beijing International Airport. However, that gateway was reaching the limits of its capacity. "At the latest with the start of the Olympic Summer Games 2008, it is planned to shift the handling of freighters to Tianjin."

  Lufthansa Cargo was already represented in Shanghai with a 29% holding in Shanghai Pudong International Airport Cargo Terminal Co Ltd (PACTL) and in ICCS in the southern Chinese Pearl River Delta with 50%. In addition, Jade Cargo International, in which Lufthansa had a 25% stake, served important economic centres worldwide from Shenzhen with six B747-400 freighters.
  
• International Cargo Center Shenzhen (ICCS)

  Located on the Pearl River Delta, the International Cargo Center Shenzhen (ICCS) offers a full range of cargo handling services for Shenzhen Baoan International Airport. Since its founding in September 2004, the company operates with Lufthansa Cargo on an equal partnership basis.

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence
  
• Air China

  Lufthansa and Air China are Star Alliance members, and have had active code-sharing operations since 1989.

  In 1994, this relationship was strengthened by the establishment of a Maintenance, Repair and Operations Company (MRO) called AMECO, between the two companies. 

  AMECO provides MRO services to major air carriers at Beijing airport.

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence
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• Cathay Pacific Cargo

  Cathay Pacific and Lufthansa Cargo cooperate on cargo flights and offer a joint twice-weekly freight flight between Hong Kong, Frankfurt and London.

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence
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• Dachser GmbH & Co KG

  In Febraury 2012, Dachser Transport of America Inc. (Dachser USA), signed an agreement to become the newest member of Lufthansa Cargo's Global Partnership Program. The Program's mission was to increase cooperation amongst its members for planning capacity, reducing transaction costs and promoting key industry issues.

  "Lufthansa Cargo's closely meshed route network and frequent, excellent service makes the company a strong partner for our intercontinental business," said the managing director Dachser Air & Sea Logistics. With a route network that covers some 300 destinations in over 100 countries, Lufthansa ranks among the world's leading air freight carriers.

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence
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• DHL Express

  DHL Express and Lufthansa Cargo each own 50% of their joint venture AeroLogic.

  AeroLogic launched operations in the summer of 2009 following the delivery of its first Boeing 777F freighter. With a workforce of about 150, it serves selected routes to Asia and North America from Leipzig Halle Airport.

  At the end of 2011, AeroLogic operated eight Boeing 777F aircraft.

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence

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  2010

  October - DHL introduced three new air express routes between Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific. The routes were being served by AeroLogic, the joint venture cargo airline of DHL Express and Lufthansa Cargo.

  The Chief Executive Officer of DHL Express, said, "We are proud to spearhead developments that improve the connectivity of markets," says Allen. "There is a continuously high demand for express transport of goods and documents between key markets in Europe, Asia Pacific and EEMEA, and our new routes will provide customers with more flexibility and add capacity where it is needed."

  Following the delivery of AeroLogic's 7th Boeing 777F aircraft, DHL Express had launched an early bird connection from Hong Kong to Leipzig. The new addition enabled the company to offer westbound DHL Express Worldwide next-day delivery service. The company also added the new Bangkok stop to its Leipzig-Singapore-New Delhi route to improve speed of delivery to the important Southeast Asian market. The new Brussels to Bahrain route, which went live on October 12, added to the existing Leipzig to Bahrain connection and enhanced DHL Express' ability to serve a high-demand trade lane that connected European and American markets to the Middle East.

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  May - DHL expanded its air network with an Aerologic route linking the UAE to Asia and Europe. Aerologic, the joint venture cargo airline of DHL Express and Lufthansa Cargo, would operate a B777F flight between Leipzig and Hong Kong with a connection in Sharjah, the third largest emirate of the UAE.

  "This Aerologic flight route via the UAE will boost our air network capacity on an increasingly important tradelane. Asia and Europe have strong trade relations with the Middle East and China will play an increasingly important role in trade with the UAE. In 2009, China emerged as the top trading partner of the UAE with 12.9% of total imports into the Emirates originating from China. With enhanced linkages via the Middle East, we will also deliver greater time savings and better connections to our customers," said  its CEO, DHL Express Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa.

  "With its strategic location, the UAE is an excellent location as a logistics distribution centre in the global supply chain. The Aerologic flight connection enables DHL's customers to enjoy improved transit times with the one day service from Asia to UAE and two days to the EU," said the Vice President, DHL Aviation, Express Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa.

  Aerologic took delivery of two additional B777F aircrafts in December 2009. With a fleet of four, it was currently the largest operation of B777F worldwide. Aerologic expected delivery of four additional B777F aircraft in 2010 (planned for June, July, September and November).

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  January - AeroLogic, the joint venture cargo airline of DHL Express and Lufthansa Cargo, was expanding its network, following delivery of two additional aircraft last month. The company was now introducing new daily flights from Leipzig to Hong Kong, four of them non-stop, and weekend flights from Frankfurt to Atlanta and Chicago during the current winter schedule. The new additional destinations and increased frequency of nonstop flights would help both parent companies to strengthen the service offerings to their customers. Demand for Europe to Asia and Europe to US remained stable, despite the weakened world economy, and was expected to increase in the mid term.

  DHL Express, commented on the network expansion: "AeroLogic's new routes offer excellent opportunities for DHL Express. Trade between Europe and Asia remained at a high level during the recent crisis, indicating a structural demand in both regions for the other's products and commodities."

  Lufthansa Cargo, added: "With destinations in North America we can now further expand our dense network to the United States. Especially on weekends we see a high demand for capacity from and to our hubs in Atlanta and Chicago. With the Boeing 777 the Lufthansa Cargo Group can now offer its customers three different freighter types: the MD-11 of Lufthansa Cargo, the Boeing 747-400 of Jade Cargo International and AeroLogic´s Boeing 777."

  AeroLogic took delivery of two additional B777F aircraft in December and with a fleet of four was currently the largest operator of the B777F worldwide. The B777F was the most efficient and environmentally friendly long range wide-body freighter aircraft available. AeroLogic expects to expand its network with two new routes to Asia and the U.S. with the delivery of four additional B777F aircraft in 2010 (planned for June, July, September and December). With these aircraft, the airline could expand its route system to include further destinations and would achieve its originally planned network size and reach in the beginning of 2011.

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  2009

  June - AeroLogic, the joint venture cargo airline of DHL Express and Lufthansa Cargo, shrugged off the economic downturn and officially started operations. The airline received delivery of its first Boeing 777F aircraft as well as an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the German Aviation Authority (LBA). The airline will serve new air routes between Europe and Asia, flying cargo for customers of its parent companies. 

  AeroLogic was established to offer air transport services on the Europe-Asia trade lane, which the company expected to grow by approximately 5% annually in the medium term. The airline would initially serve the express routes Leipzig-Bahrain-Singapore-Delhi-Leipzig on weekdays and the cargo routes Leipzig-Tashkent -Hong Kong-Tashkent-Leipzig on weekends. By 2010, the airline would gradually expand the network to offer new direct connections to most of Asia's major cities. 

  AeroLogic would operate with eight leased brand new B777F freighters, the first four of which were expected to be delivered this year. These were capable of non-stop flights from AeroLogic's home base Leipzig, Germany, to key Asian growth markets, reducing transit times. 

  "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," said the chief executive officer of Deutsche Lufthansa AG. "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," said the chief executive officer of Deutsche Post DHL. "We are making available to our customers the most efficient air freight capacity in the market," DHL added. 

  Cargo capacities would be marketed individually by the two partners. In addition to the Europe - Asia routes, in the future it would also serve Lufthansa Cargo's EU-North America routes. The first commercial flight of AeroLogic was scheduled for June 29, 2009.

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  May - US aircraft manufacturer Boeing reported the delivery of the first B777 freighter aircraft to Deucalion Capital and its customer AeroLogic GmbH on May 12.

  Boeing explained that AeroLogic, formed in 2007 and based in Leipzig, Germany, was a new cargo company joint venture between German carrier Lufthansa Cargo and DHL Express and would operate a fleet exclusively comprising the new B777F. Deucalion Capital and customer AeroLogic currently had eight B777Fs on order, it added.

  The managing director of AeroLogic, commented: "The B777F is the perfect airplane for a start-up cargo operation such as ourselves; its combination of reliability and efficiency will allow us to quickly establish the company as a leading force in the industry."

  According to Boeing, the B777F is the world's longest-range twin-engine freighter and features the lowest trip cost of any large freighter, with high cargo density and a 10ft (3.1m) interior height capability that complements the B747 freighter family. Providing cargo capacity normally associated with larger airplanes, continued Boeing, the B777F could fly up to 4,885 nautical miles (9,045kms) with a full payload of 226,800 pounds (103 tonnes). 

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  2008

  September - Following completion of an interim solution realised in cooperation with DHL, Lufthansa Cargo AG reported that it was initiating the next stage in the development of its air freight handling at Leipzig/Halle Airport in Germany "and thus securing long-term growth at its second-largest German freighter hub".

  The German carrier stated that to coincide with the launch of operations of new cargo carrier AeroLogic in spring 2009, Lufthansa Cargo would shift its cargo handling activities into Leipzig/Halle's World Cargo Centre. That facility, which was built in 2007 by Garbe Logistic, would ensure fast and efficient handling processes. From then on, PortGround GmbH, a subsidiary of airport operator Mitteldeutsche Airport Holding, would assume responsibility for Lufthansa Cargo's handling services at Leipzig/Halle Airport.

  "By moving into the World Cargo Center, we aim to secure options for long-term growth," said Lufthansa Cargo. "Following the Federal Administrative Court ruling, we are adhering to our strategy of expanding Leipzig into an air freight hub with Lufthansa Cargo's and AeroLogic's freighter fleets."

  In order to achieve that objective, Lufthansa Cargo would invest at short notice in staff and handling equipment.

  Lufthansa Cargo said its move into the World Cargo Center marked an important step in the expansion of Leipzig as an air cargo base. "If dynamic market growth is sustained, Lufthansa Cargo plans to build its own terminal at the airport," it concluded.

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  January - DHL Express created a joint venture cargo airline with Lufthansa Cargo, a move which was in line with the company's worldwide aviation strategy to build a "virtual global airline".

  More specifically, the global express operator, part of German logistics group Deutsche Post World Net, claimed that development should enable it to substantially improve overall delivery performance in both directions between Europe and Asia (including China) - the main target sector for AeroLogic's B777-200 long range freighter operations when they begin in 2009 - and offer customers in those markets "very economic" solutions.

  "We decided we needed to take a step ahead to provide industry-leading service levels on Europe-Asia trade lanes," explained DHL. "The only way we could do that was to offer a dedicated aircraft network and using this particular type of freighter will enable us to trim transit times vey significantly. The percentage of traffic in both directions between Europe and Asia that we are able to pick up and deliver on the other Continent before noon on the second day will increase to something like 80%."

  AeroLogic, which was capitalised at €50m, will be based near Leipzig in Germany which will also be its main European hub. The company takes it name from the established co-operation between DHL and Lufthansa Cargo, albeit with changed corporate colours (grey and yellow).

  As flagged up when plans for the airline were first officially outlined last September, AeroLogic will initially operate a fleet of 11 new, 103-tonnes revenue payload capacity B777-200LRFs. The first four were scheduled for delivery in 2009, with four more to follow in 2010, two in 2011 and the final one in 2012. AeroLogic will lease the first eight aircraft from a company called Deucalion Capital VII Limited which was advised and managed by German financial institution DVB Bank AG.

  The two partners in the new joint venture airline planned to share the capacity on its freighters. DHL will take the major share on weekdays to support its Europe/Asia operations. At weekends, Lufthansa Cargo will take over primary responsibility for utilising the capacity, mainly on routes to/from Asia and North America.

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  2007

  October - Lufthansa Cargo inaugurated its flight operations to and from Leipzig/Halle.  With 21 weekly frequencies within the framework of the inter-continental joint venture with DHL Express, since the beginning of the winter timetable Lufthansa Cargo links the European continent with logistics centres in Asia and the USA. 
  
  Lufthansa Cargo was setbuild a new logistics centre at Leipzig/Halle Airport by spring 2009. The investment involved in this development amountedo about €25m.
  
  As of spring 2009, Leipzig/Halle Airport would become the home airport of the new joint freight airline of DHL Express and Lufthansa Cargo. With eleven new freighters of the type Boeing 777-200 LRF, the airline would mainly serve destinations in Asia, but also in the USA.

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  September - DPWN and Deutsche Lufthansa AG announced that they were going to found a joint cargo airline through their subsidiaries DHL Express and Lufthansa Cargo. The new company, based in Leipzig, in which DHL Express and Lufthansa Cargo would each hold a 50% stake, would have the legal form of a private limited company. It would focus on transporting airfreight and express shipments into and out of Asia.  Flight operations with new aircraft of the Boeing 777 type to commence from Leipzig/Halle Airport in April 2009.

  The new cargo carrier would initially operate with eleven new Boeing 777-200LRF aircraft. The aircraft would be leased and are scheduled for delivery from February 2009.  The cargo capacities of the new airline would be utilised by Lufthansa Cargo und DHL Express. The two partners would continue market and handle those capacities independently.

  Pending the granting of traffic rights, the new airline would gradually expand its route network from the summer schedule 2009.  On weekdays, it would serve Singapore, Bangkok, Dubai, Bombay, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Seoul, Nagoya, Almaty, East Midlands and Milan.  At weekends, it would fly to Shanghai, Astana, Singapore, Bangkok, Sharjah, Hong Kong, Chicago and New York.

  Aside from pure airfreight traffic, the two companies would each alone be responsible for warehousing and trans-shipment at Leipzig/Halle Airport.  DHL Express would handle its express shipments in the newly built cargo centre.  Lufthansa Cargo would shortly build its own logistics centre nearby. 

  Management of the new airline would be taken over by Dr. Thomas Papke, formerly Lufthansa Cargo, and Thomas Pusch, previously at DHL. The name of the new company and its branding would be decided at a later date.

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  June - DHL and Lufthansa Cargo planned to form an air cargo venture.

  The company, provisionally called NewCo, would operate an intercontinental cargo fleet running both express and classical freight deliveries to destinations in North America and the Middle and Far East.

  Lufthansa Cargo was set to transfer all of its Cologne/Bonn freighter flights to Leipzig in conjunction with the opening of a new DHL cargo hub in the city.

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  March - DHL and Lufthansa Cargo underwent negotiations to create a new partnership. A secret process was believed to have included Emirates SkyCargo, Cargolux and Lufthansa Cargo. The selection of the preferred partner was later concluded, with Emirates and Cargolux eliminated.
  
  DHL and Lufthansa were expected to enter a period of intense negotiations to establish exact details.

  DHL elected not to follow UPS and FedEx by investing in its own fleet of wide body freighters, but instead created partnerships with large cargo carriers to guarantee capacity.
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• DHL Global Forwarding/Freight

  DHL Global Forwarding and Lufthansa have a strategic partnership to develop air cargo security procedures for handling high value and high risk products.

  DHL Global Forwarding and Lufthansa Cargo also used to own equal shares in a joint venture, LifeConEx, until DHL acquired Lufthansa Cargo's 50% stake in the company in September 2011, giving it outright ownership.

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence

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  2011

  September - DHL Global Forwarding acquired Lufthansa's 50% ownership in joint venture company LifeConEx. The end–to–end life sciences cold chain logistics provider was now a 100% DHL subsidiary.

  "After running the innovative specialised logistics service together for six years, DHL Global Forwarding and Lufthansa Cargo agreed that a change in ownership would best prepare LifeConEx to further grow its market position" stated Roger Crook, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding and Freight, and Deutsche Post DHL Board Member sponsor for the Life Sciences & Healthcare Sector.

  Established in 2005, the joint venture became the global leader in its niche market. DHL would utilise its global presence to leverage LifeConEx's capabilities and expand its cold chain services. While furthering its cooperation with Lufthansa, DHL would also maintain LifeConEx's neutrality in carriers, forwarders and packaging providers. This investment also supported Deutsche Post DHL's 2015 group and Life Sciences sector strategy.

  David Bang, CEO of LifeConEx would continue to lead the company and was committed to overseeing the ownership transition for continued development and success.
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• DSV A/S

  DSV is a member of Lufthansa Cargo's Global Partnership Programme.

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence

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  2008

  December - Denmark-based DSV announced that it was to be admitted to the Global Partnership Programme of German carrier Lufthansa Cargo AG.

  Commenting on that development the Vice President DSV Air & Sea Holding, said: "DSV has in recent years evolved into one of the world's leading logistics groups. Lufthansa Cargo has consistently supported our progress by listening to our requests and adjusting to the kind of company we are, backed up by individuals in the global Lufthansa network."

  Lufthansa Cargo said that over the years, its Global Partnership Programme had developed into a "solid platform for stability and growth". "Alongside joint sharing in worldwide growth in the air freight market, the programme is geared to increasing closer cooperation and the inter-meshing of capacity planning as well as operational processes and systems."

  Lufthansa Cargo stated that about 50% of its business was generated with the carrier's twelve Global Partners. In addition to newest member DSV, they included Agility, CEVA, DHL Global Forwarding, Expeditors, Hellmann, Kühne + Nagel, Nippon Express, Panalpina, DB Schenker, UPS and UTi.

  According to the Lufthansa Cargo statement, DSV had offices in more than 55 countries all over the world and together with partners and agents offered services in more than 110 countries. Worldwide annual turnover in 2008 was expected to be €5.2bn.
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• Hamburg Süd Group

  Since 2009, Lufthansa Cargo and Hamburg Sud have offered a sea-air freight solution between Europe and Australia called AirShip.

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence
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• Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA)

  From HKIA, Lufthansa operate passenger flights to Frankfurt and Munich, as well as cargo flights to Almaty, Astana, Bahrain, Calcutta, Cologne/Bonn, Frankfurt, Sharjah, and Tashkent.

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence
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• Incheon International Airport Corporation

  Lufthansa operate passenger services to Busan, Frankfurt, and Munich and cargo services to Bahrain, Kôln/Bonn, Leipzig out of Incheon International Airport.

  Lufthansa Cargo also operates services out of Incheon International Airport.

  © 2011 Transport Intelligence
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• Jade Cargo

  Lufthansa Cargo, which owned a 25% stake in Jade Cargo, signed a letter of intent with China’s UniTop Group concerning the sale of its share in the company in March 2012.

  This marked the withdrawal of Lufthansa Cargo from Jade Cargo.

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence

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  2012

  March - Jade Cargo International, a Lufthansa Cargo/Shenzhen Airlines joint venture that temporarily suspended operations of its fleet of six Boeing 747-400Fs earlier in the month, signed a letter of intent with China’s UniTop Group to restructure the company.

  The sale was expected to take two months to complete, and would completely divest Lufthansa Cargo of its 25% stake in the company. 

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  2010

  September - US-based World Airways had signed a one-year agreement with Chinese carrier Jade Cargo International to operate a B747-400 freighter on a full-time basis for an air cargo service beginning next month (October).

  World Airways stated that subject to final government approvals, the aircraft would connect the Chinese industrial centres of Shanghai and Yantai with Chicago in the US. The three weekly flights would then continue to Amsterdam in the Netherlands and return to Shanghai on a 'round-the-world' flight pattern.

  World Airways announced a significant increase in its cargo fleet capacity with the addition of two B747-400Fs, increasing its B747-400 fleet to four aircraft, in addition to nine MD11 freighters.

  Jade Cargo International Company was founded in October 2004 as a joint venture between Shenzhen Airlines (51%), Lufthansa Cargo AG (25%) and German development finance institute DEG-Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH (24%). The company's headquarters are located in Shenzhen. Jade started flight operations in August 2006.

  World Airways, a subsidiary of Global Aviation Holdings Inc, is a US-certificated air carrier providing customised transportation services for major international passenger and cargo carriers, international freight forwarders, the US military and international leisure tour operators.

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  2009

  Following the delivery of the final aircraft in January 2008, the Jade Cargo International fleet consisted of six Boeing 747-400ER freighters. The company had been active in the Yellow River delta since January 2008. This is the site of Lufthansa Cargo's equity investment in the handling company Tianjin Aircargo Terminal Ltd. (TAT) and the Chinese boom region around the ambitious freight hub Tianjin, which is served by Jade Cargo International.

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  2008

  March - Lufthansa Cargo and Chinese joint venture airline Jade Cargo International were to extend their co-operation from March 30 when the new 2008 summer timetable goes into effect.

  Announcing that development, Lufthansa Cargo said it would then be responsible for marketing the air freight capacity of its Sino-German cargo subsidiary on routes from Europe to Asia.

  The blocked space agreement would apply to all Jade's routes ex-Europe, it continued, and be valid throughout the forthcoming summer timetable and the 2008/2009 winter schedule. Under the terms of that new co-operation agreement the marketing and sales partnership between Jade and Swiss WorldCargo would be transferred to the German carrier.

  Taking over Jade's capacities ex-Europe will enable Lufthansa to expand its services and offer customers  direct flights from major economic centres in Europe to the Pearl River Delta region and Shanghai.

  Jade completed its fleet expansion as planned. The integration of Jade's capacities into Lufthansa Cargo's product portfolio on European routes will give customers access to an extensive network. On routes to Asia, Jade - operating under the umbrella of the Lufthansa Cargo group - will offer non-stop flights on routes that were previously only served indirectly via the Frankfurt hub.

  Jade, which is based in Shenzhen, south China, flew to that Chinese gateway and Shanghai Pudong from five European points - Amsterdam, Barcelona, Brescia, Luxembourg and Stockholm. From Shenzhen, Jade provided connections to Osaka and Seoul. As part of the capacity expansion, Frankfurt and China's Tianjin Airport would be integrated into Jade's route network.

  Jade was jointly owned by Shenzhen Airlines (51%), Lufthansa Cargo (25%) and DEG - Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft (24%).
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• Menzies Aviation

  Menzies Aviation provides ground handling services for Lufthansa Cargo.

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence

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  2011

  March - Menzies Aviation was awarded a contract by Lufthansa at Cluj Airport, Romania.

  The three year contract for ramp services began in April and passenger services will begin in November.
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• Narita International Airport Corporation

  Lufthansa operates passenger flights out of Narita International Airport through the Star Alliance partnership.

  It also operates cargo services out of the airport.

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence
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• Shanghai Airport Group

  In 1999, Shanghai Airport Group (51%), Lufthansa Cargo AG (29%) and JHJ Logistics Management Co. Ltd. (20%) founded Shanghai Pudong Int'l Airport Cargo Terminal (PACTL)

  It is a warehouse handling company located at Shanghai Pudong International Airport. It handles around 25,000 to 30,000 tonnes of cargo each week. To its facilities and services belong among others 190,000 sq m covered warehouse space and a countrywide road-feeder service. Its maximum handling capacity is about 2.5m tonnes per year.

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence
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• Singapore Airport (Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS))

  Lufthansa Cargo operate flights out of Singapore Changi Airport.

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence
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• Ultramar Group

  Ultramar Agencia Marítima is a strategic partner of Lufthansa for its operations in Chile. The alliance has been in existence since 1956 when Lufthansa first started flying to Chile. Ultramar offers the sale of air freight on Lufthansa passenger planes' bellyhold space.

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence
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• UTI Worldwide

  UTI's German subsidiary provides freight forwarding solutions for Lufthansa Cargo.

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence
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• DB Schenker Logistics

  DB Schenker Logistics and Lufthansa Cargo have long cooperated and are at the forefront of e-freight out of Germany.

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence

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  2008

  September - Lufthansa Cargo AG and DB Schenker reported that they had despatched the first paperless air freight shipment from Germany.

  In a joint statement, the two organisations announced that right on time the item of freight on board Lufthansa flight LH712 had left Frankfurt heading for the South Korean capital of Seoul. As a result, the first e-freight transport had started a month earlier than originally planned.

  The chairman of the executive board of Lufthansa Cargo commented: "With paperless freight transport, together with our customers, we move the industry forward, because e-freight not only improves the data quality but, above all, also increases efficiency and in addition spares the environment."

  The DB Schenker chairman member of the Deutsche Bahn management board for transportation and logistics added: "In the Netherlands, Canada, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, Australia and the UK, DB Schenker has already successfully introduced paperless air freight handling."

  Lufthansa Cargo and DB Schenker said that following the successful maiden flight ex-Germany, which was prepared in close cooperation with the German authorities and customs, the use of e-freight was planned to be gradually increased on the route between Germany and Korea. Over the next few months, Lufthansa Cargo wanted to extend e-freight to further German stations and markets in Asia such as Singapore and Hong Kong.

  Lufthansa Cargo had been the 'lead carrier' and project coordinator of the IATA (International Air Transport Association) e-freight project for Germany, which involved a number of leading forwarders and airlines. The IATA e-freight project was initiated in 2004 within the framework of the association's 'Simplifying the Business' programme.
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• Emirates Airline

  Lufthansa Cargo is a partner of Emirates operated Dnata Cargo.

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence
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• Fraport

  Frankfurt Airport serves as Lufthansa Cargo's main operational hub.

  Lufthansa Cargo (40%) and Fraport (40%) also operate Airmail Center Frankfurt GmbH (ACF) as a joint venture along with Deutsche Post AG (20%) at Frankfurt Airport.

  The ACF handles over 400 tonnes of international air mail daily, arriving in Frankfurt on more than 400 flights. The ACF uses a high performance tilt tray sorting system for distributing letters, parcels, and packages in containers and bags to flights departing daily to approximately 300 destinations worldwide.

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence

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  2012

  April - A German court in Leipzig upheld a night-flight ban at Frankfurt Airport between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. local time.

  The ruling came after a Hessen court ruled in October 2011 that 17 night-flights would be banned when FRA’s fourth runway opened in the same month following resident complaints of aircraft noise from nearby Russelsheim and Offenbach. Lufthansa Cargo operated 10 of those scheduled nighttime slots.

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  2011

  December - Lufthansa Cargo begun operations at its new facility for temperature-sensitive freight in Frankfurt, Germany. The Lufthansa Cargo Cool Centre was built in the space of just six months.

  The facility was equipped with four cool storage rooms for four different temperature ranges as well as a deep-freezer cell on an area of 4,500 sq m. From now on, all temperature-controlled shipments carried by the airline in Frankfurt would pass through the new facility.

  The Board Member Product and Sales, said: "Our Cool/td product is assuming ever-increasing importance for Lufthansa Cargo thanks to growth rates of 15%. The Lufthansa Cargo Cool Center will enable us to ship temperature-controlled freight faster, more reliably and more efficiently at our Frankfurt hub, and further expand our position as a leading provider of cool transports."

  Lufthansa Cargo earmarked substantial capital expenditure last year in the Cool/td product. Besides investing in the development of the Opticooler, the industry's most efficient cooling container, the cargo carrier commenced operations at its first international pharmaceutical hub at Hyderabad in India.

  ---

  October - Lufthansa Cargo underlined its fears regarding the consequences ensuing for the international logistics industry from the provisional night-flight ban placed upon Frankfurt Airport from October 30, 2011 by a regional court.

  Following the ruling from the administrative court in Hesse, issued a few days before the introduction of Lufthansa's winter flight schedules, the company had put together an emergency timetable for the period after October 30. A number of flights had had to be relocated to daytime slots or to the early and late hours of the day.

  Individual connections – to China, for example – had been cancelled entirely. Other flights bound for China would have to stop over at Cologne/Bonn Airport for several hours after an evening departure from Frankfurt so as to fly on, as originally planned, at night-time in the direction of the Far East. "We will be operating in future with unnecessary take-offs and landings, which will lead to more noise, higher fuel consumption and more costs running into millions," commented Lufthansa Cargo Chairman.

  Furthermore from January, at least one MD-11 freighter was to be transferred from Frankfurt to Cologne/Bonn Airport. The freighter would operate the overnight flights for the German logistics industry to North America, which could no longer be guaranteed from Frankfurt because of the night-flight ban.

  Lufthansa Cargo believed the provisional night-flight ban in Frankfurt was a drastic signal for the German logistics industry. He emphasised: "As export world champion, Germany is reliant on dependable connections to ship air freight to destinations around the globe. Frankfurt Airport plays in that respect a highly important role, since around 40% of German exports is transported by air."

  The company said that it was hoping that the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig (the supreme court of appeal) would allow a minimum of necessary night flights in its final ruling.

  ---

  October - The fourth runway at Frankfurt airport was opened, yet what Frankfurt’s owners and customers had hoped to be a useful improvement to capacity had ballooned into a major crisis for the airport’s cargo operations. At 2.8 km the new runway would be shorter than the existing facilities and was designed to serve smaller short-haul traffic. Part of the 'Expansion 2020 programme', it was the first major part of a development that would also see a new terminal and new cargo handling facilities by 2016. The taxi-ways to the new runways would also include a bridge over the neighbouring motorway and another over a high-speed railway.

  In order to get this programme past protesting local residents and environmental pressure groups, Fraport, the airport's owner, agreed to certain conditions including greater restrictions on night-flights. The residents and pressure groups who continued to dispute the airport expansion had now won a court order banning all night-flights from Frankfurt citing this agreement. The court judgement enacting a ban, which was issued on the October 11 was temporary until the case could be concluded in a higher court in 2012. In the meantime all flights between 23.00 and 05.00hrs would be prohibited from October 30.

  The immediacy of this decision had dealt a blow to Lufthansa Cargo in particular. It had been forced to adopt emergency winter schedules including scrapping two flights a week to China and even flying freighters to neighbouring, less regulated German airports during the day in order for them to take off for their final destinations during the night. Such had been the disruption that Lufthansa's CEO had even suggested that the new runway should not be opened, circumventing the ban on night flights.

  It was unclear what effect this ban would have on air cargo traffic in Europe. Frankfurt was Europe's largest air cargo hub, although belly freight operations would be affected less as there was no restriction on day-time flights. Presumably it would be the freighters and particularly those operating to China and Central Asia that would be affected most. This was all the more painful for Lufthansa as this was a route which they had made particular efforts on. There would be those who benefit from what was likely to be a major – if presumably temporary – restructuring of air freight logistics in Europe. Neighbouring airports in France, the Netherlands but also possibly the new Leipzig-Halle facility which was home to the AeroLogic Lufthansa –DHL joint venture, could see more business. Of even greater threat was the ability of Dubai and the smaller Gulf airports to jump in and grab some trans-shipment business from Frankfurt.
  Click here to view alliance concern details

• Austrian Lufthansa Cargo

  Since summer 2010, Lufthansa Cargo has fully integrated the capacity of Austrian Airlines within its own portfolio of services and products. The route network of Austrian Airlines encompasses 120 destinations in around 60 countries. The carrier's intercontinental network through VIE includes flights to Japan, India, China, Thailand, US and Canada as well as Dubai.

  The Vienna hub is strategically located between Eastern and Western Europe. It offers short transit times as well as the dedicated "Quick Ramp Transfer" service.

  In addition to a large portfolio of flight options, the newly founded Austrian Lufthansa Cargo company lays on extensive Road Feeder Services (RFS), especially into and out of Central and Eastern Europe.

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence

  ---

  2010

  July - Vienna-based Austrian Lufthansa Cargo is a result of cooperation between Austrian Airlines and Lufthansa Cargo, which began its operation on July 1, 2009.

  The new company is marketing all freight capacities of both airlines in Austria. Freight activities in all other countries have been amalgamated under the management of Lufthansa Cargo.
  
  Lufthansa Cargo stated: "Through the successful integration of Austrian Cargo, our joint customers will profit from extensive connections in the eastern Europe growth region as well as access to the entire product portfolio and electronic booking channels of Lufthansa Cargo. (...) The airport shall become a centre of operations in future between eastern and western Europe."
  
  Managing Directors of  Austrian Lufthansa Cargo GmbH are Franz Zöchbauer and Hasso Schmidt. Lufthansa Cargo has a 74% stake in the new company, Austrian Airlines holds 26%. The company employs around 120 people.
  
• bmi Cargo

  The cargo division of the British Midland Airways (bmi), based in the UK, is responsible for bmi's belly capacities on routes to Asia, Africa, Europe and the Middle East.

  Since 2009, its cargo division had been a member of the Lufthansa Cargo Group, until it was sold. bmi Cargo independently markets the freight capacity of about 1,700 flights per week. bmi cargo's portfolio of air freight services ranges from the transport of normal air cargo to express cargo, mail shipments and animal transports.

  In April 2012, Lufthansa completed the sale of British Midland Ltd. (bmi) to International Airlines Group (IAG), the parent company of British Airways.

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence

  ---

  2012

  April - Lufthansa completed the sale of British Midland Ltd. (bmi) to International Airlines Group (IAG), the parent company of British Airways. The completion of the sale took place after close of business on April 19, 2012. The purchase price amounted to £172.5m (€207m).

  As price adjustments were agreed as part of the transaction structure, the net purchase price would be determined at the end of the second quarter 2012, at which point the final amount would be transferred. It was expected that the net purchase price would be negative. However, the costs of the transaction for Lufthansa would amortise within one year. The gross purchase price was expected to be reduced by a number of items including agreed deductions for not selling bmi regional and bmibaby prior to the completion of the transaction.

  bmi’s underfunded Pension Scheme was to be transferred to the UK Pension Protection Fund. The pension shortfall for the members of the bmi Pension Scheme would be offset to a large extent by a one-off contribution from Lufthansa of £84m to a supplementary pension scheme.

  On November 4, 2011, Lufthansa and IAG agreed in principle to the sale of bmi to IAG, prior to a legally binding purchase agreement being signed by both parties on December 22, 2011. The validity of this contract was subject to regulatory approval by the European Commission, which was received on March 30, 2012. By carrying out the transaction, Lufthansa sold a consistently loss-making company.
  
• Brussels Airlines Cargo

  Brussels Airlines Cargo, a member of the Lufthansa Cargo Group since 2009, independently markets the belly capacities of Brussels Airlines' passenger aircraft. The Belgian carrier flies from Brussels Airport to 40 destinations in Europe and also to 18 destinations in Africa.

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence

  ---

  2009

  March -time:matters, formed a partnership with Belgian carrier Brussels Airlines. The latter was based in Brussels-Zaventem and had an extensive international route network.

  Germany-based time:matters stated that through the new partnership, it could draw on additional flights to European destinations such as Munich, Zurich or Brussels for the transport of its sameday shipments. It could now access 852 additional direct flights from Brussels to 44 European sameday air stations per week.

  "This translates into an increased route frequency that enables time:matters to offer its customers an even more comprehensive sameday service, due to greater flexibility when selecting the fastest connections and the significant reduction of transport times," claimed time:matters.

  The special logistics provider said the expansion of the sameday route network benefitted its customers in Belgium and throughout the rest of Europe. "The use of Brussels Airport as an additional hub for the transport of European sameday shipments also in part significantly reduces transport times to and from Belgium as well as to cross-border destinations. Therefore, a sameday shipment from Warsaw to Maastricht can be flown via Brussels, instead of via Frankfurt and Amsterdam, as was previously the case. This in turn decreases the transport time by two hours to merely four hours."

  Time:matters added that the partnership was also a great advantage in terms of the direct connections that Brussels Airlines flew to from its headquarters in Brussels, "which completely eliminate transit flights via Frankfurt or Munich that were previously necessary".
  
• cargo counts GmbH

  cargo counts GmbH was a former wholly owned subsidiary of Lufthansa Cargo until its activities were merged with Lufthansa Cargo's general freight operations in August 2008.

  Cargo Counts was set up in 2003 as an independent business unit, to develop the market for outsourced cargo management services on behalf of passenger airlines.

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence

  ---

  2008

  August - Lufthansa Cargo announced two new but unrelated developments - the imminent integration of the business activities of 100% subsidiary cargo counts GmbH and an expansion of its security measures in the US.

  Commenting on the first move, Lufthansa Cargo stated that at the beginning of 2009, it would take over responsibility for the business activities of cargo counts GmbH, including its staff and customers. Within the context of a merger with Lufthansa Cargo, continued the carrier, the supplier of total cargo management would be dissolved at the end of the year.

  The chairman of the executive board of Lufthansa Cargo, commented: "Through the integration of cargo counts we are provided with operational synergy effects and will further increase the economic efficiency of Lufthansa Cargo Group." 

  Lufthansa Cargo originally hived off cargo counts as an independent company in September 2003. Its customers mainly include tourist airlines like Condor or Sun Express. In addition, cargo counts markets the capacities of Italian airline AirOne and of Croatia Airlines. Customers of Lufthansa Cargo also have access to those networks.

  ---

  May - German air freight specialist cargo counts (subsidiary of German carrier Lufthansa Cargo AG)   appointed SP Aviation Services Inc as its new general sales agent (GSA) for Turkey.

  The latter, which was headquartered in Istanbul and also opened a new office in Izmir, would be solely responsible for marketing the air freight capacity of cargo counts' partner airlines. The main carrier, besides Condor, Croatia Airlines and euroAtlantik, is the Turkish holiday airline SunExpress.

  According to cargo counts, SP Aviation Services fought off competition from several internationally-established companies to win the tender. "With our bases in Istanbul, Antalya and Izmir we can guarantee cargo counts a high degree of customer proximity in Turkey, which is a growth market," said Nursel Gueven, director sales and marketing at SP Aviation. "Our local proximity to SunExpress will also simplify sales and handling enormously and enable us to respond quickly and flexibly to all our customers' wishes."

  Cargo counts GmbH, which is based in Hattersheim, close to Frankfurt Airport since its founding in 2003 has provided total cargo management for various airlines.

  ---

  March - A co-operation agreement between cargo counts and German-Turkish airline SunExpress was to be extended by a further three years, the former announced.

  Under that deal, SunExpress would market its cargo capacity exclusively via cargo counts until 2011. The agreement encompassed sales, marketing, cargo handling, accounting, IT and controlling as well as flight data, yield and capacity management. Cargo counts specialised in total cargo management and has co-operated with SunExpress since its founding in 2003.

  To date, working in partnership with SunExpress, cargo counts said it had handled more than 6m kilos of freight, with the volume rising each year. Fresh vegetables for the German market accounted for the bulk of cargo transported from Turkey, it added.

  SunExpress operates a fleet of 14 B737-800s and three B757-200s with a total capacity of more than 51,000 kg. In the new summer timetable, the airline will offer 680 flights per week, 328 of them on international routes.

  In addition to its home base Antalya and a second hub in Izmir, SunExpress was setting up another base in Istanbul. From there, the airline would serve the German destinations of Hanover, Cologne and Berlin. Overall, flight frequencies to Germany would be significantly increased. Other major European cities, such as Zurich, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Oslo and Paris, would be served mainly from Izmir.
  
• handling counts GmbH

  handling counts GmbH is a wholly owned Lufthansa Cargo subsidiary that was formed in 2008.

  It conducts freight handling at Frankfurt Airport, employing about 300 handling staff at the Lufthansa Cargo Centre in Frankfurt (build-up und break-down), at the Frankfurt Animal Lounge and in the Lufthansa Cargo Service Centre.

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence
  
• Jettainer GmbH

  Jettainer is wholly owned subsidiary of Lufthansa Cargo. It specialises in load device management. The company was founded at the end of 2003 and is based in Raunheim, near Frankfurt Airport. It manages about 80,000 containers and pallets for air cargo transport worldwide.

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence

  ---

  2010

  March - Lufthansa Cargo and Jettainer concluded trials of lightweight containers that will allow lower fuel burn and thus lower CO2 emissions.

  Jettainer, the outsourced ULD (Unit Load Device) management company partly owned by Lufthansa Cargo, provided 1,000 containers made of fiberglass, Kevlar fiber or Dyneema for a total of approximately 120,000 trial runs on Lufthansa flights over six months. The containers are 20% lighter than aluminum containers.

  "Lufthansa Cargo stands by its ecological commitment. By 2020, we aim to reduce our specific fuel consumption by 25%," said Lufthansa Cargo. "The successful tests with lightweight containers constitute a significant step in that direction."
  
• Lufthansa Cargo Charter Agency GmbH

  Lufthansa Cargo Charter is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lufthansa Cargo. Based at Cargo City South at Frankfurt Airport, it is a global full-service provider offering all types of air cargo charter services specialising in non-standard cargo requirements.

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence
  
• Lufthansa Cargo Servicios Logisticos de México S.A. de C.V.

  Lufthansa Cargo Servicios Logisticos de México S.A. de C.V., a wholly owned Lufthansa Cargo subsidiary, is based at Mexico City International Airport, where it has its own warehouse. Since 2007, the company has been offering cargo loading and unloading services for local forwarders and airlines.

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence
  
• Lufthansa CityLine

  Lufthansa CityLine is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Deutsche Lufthansa AG and a partner in the Lufthansa Regional concept. CityLine employes 2,301 people (as of December 31, 2010). In 2010, the airline carried 6.3m passengers.

  Lufthansa Cargo markets the belly capacities of passenger flights operated by Lufthansa, Lufthansa CityLine, Condor and Spanair.

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence
  
• Lufthansa Group

  Lufthansa Group is the parent company of Lufthansa Cargo.

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence
  
• Swiss International Air Lines AG

  Swiss International Air Lines AG (Swiss) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Lufthansa. It is the principal airline of Switzerland operating scheduled services in Europe and to North America, South America, Africa and Asia. Its main hub is Zurich Airport (ZRH). The airline was formed after the 2002 bankruptcy of Swissair, Switzerland's former flag carrier.

  Although the freight capacity of Swiss is not marketed directly by Lufthansa Cargo, it nevertheless has a close partnerhip with the freight division of the company.

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence

  ---

  2007

  March - Lufthansa announced that the incorporation of SWISS was progressing more rapidly than expected.  Overall synergies totalled more than $263m and were significantly higher than the amount originally forecast.
  
• Swiss WorldCargo

  Swiss WorldCargo, the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines, was founded in April 2002. It provides connections to some 150 destinations in more than 80 countries worldwide. Headquartered at Zurich Airport, the company focuses on the transport of high-value goods. Swiss WorldCargo markets the belly capacities of SWISS' passenger aircraft and augments its network with road feeder services.

  The acquisition of the Swiss carrier by Lufthansa paved the way for Swiss WorldCargo to join the Lufthansa Cargo Group in March 2005.

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence
  
• time:matters GmbH

  time:matters has been part of the Lufthansa Cargo Group since 2002, when the former Lufthansa Cargo SameDay World GmbH was spun off.

  The company, which is based in Neu-Isenburg, is a specialist provider of time-critical courier, same-day and emergency logistics services.

  Lufthansa Cargo has a 48% stake in the company.

  © 2012 Transport Intelligence

  ---

  2009

  June - time:matters formed a partnership with LOT Polish Airlines. The new partnership would enable time:matters to access additional flights for the transport of same day shipments to Poland. Presently it could access just under twenty connections per day to and from Poland whilst following the agreement the amount of possible flights has doubled. Already this year time:matters had forged agreements with Brussels Airlines and Cebu Pacific Cargo.

  The expansion of the time:matters' same day route would benefit companies based in Poland and in the Baltic states as well as international corporate clients that maintain business relations in these regions. The expanded use of Polish airports for the transport of European same day shipments reduces transport times to and from Poland and to cross-border destinations. It also created more flexible cut-off times and led to the partial or in some cases even complete elimination of transit flights via Frankfurt or Munich that were once necessary.

  "The cooperation with LOT Polish Airlines offers our customers greater flexibility as well as an increased frequency for flights to and from Poland," says the Country Manager of time:matters Poland. "The new partnership provides us with a considerable advantage in terms of time and enables significantly later cut-off times, which is highly beneficial for our customers," he adds.

  The Director of Cargo and Mail at LOT Polish Airlines, emphasises: "We are pleased to have gained a partner such as time:matters, which specializes in same day services. This addition to our portfolio represents a considerable added value for our customers."

  ---

  May - time:matters and Jetpak, said to be the Nordic market leader for time-critical express logistics solutions, recently announced the development of a joint flight network specifically for the transport of time-critical spare parts.

  "This represents a clear advantage over the previously independent networks, as customers benefit from an expanded network that includes additional destinations, a significantly extended area for pick-ups and deliveries as well as shortened delivery times," claimed time:matters.

  According to time:matters, which is 48% owned by German carrier Lufthansa Cargo, the two partners' new "dense and high-frequency in-night network" connects Central European commercial centres with northern European points such as Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen and Helsinki, as well as remote areas like Hammerfest in northern Norway or Oulu in northwest Finland.

  "With points of departure such as Maastricht, Erfurt and Baden (Karlsruhe), there are now excellent opportunities to provide fast service from the Benelux region and all of Germany for customers with delivery needs throughout the Nordic countries. Furthermore, due to time:matters service to and from Italy, it is also possible to provide in-night transport and delivery services from northern Italy to the Nordic region."

  The German company continued: "Time-critical spare parts can thus be transported during the night from a spare parts warehouse (European Distribution Centres) to their destination within as little as 12 to 14 hours. The service also enables the latest possible pick-up (up to 7pm) and the earliest possible drop-off times (from 7am), for example by using designated pick-up and drop-off points (PuDos).

  "Therefore, it is for example possible to ensure that a component, which is urgently needed for the repair of a defective magnetic resonance tomograph in Falun, central Sweden, is picked up at the spare parts warehouse near Frankfurt, Germany at 6:30pm and is already at the respective clinic's disposal at 8am the next morning."

  ---

  March -time:matters, formed a partnership with Belgian carrier Brussels Airlines. The latter was based in Brussels-Zaventem and had an extensive international route network.

  Germany-based time:matters stated that through the new partnership, it could draw on additional flights to European destinations such as Munich, Zurich or Brussels for the transport of its sameday shipments. It could now access 852 additional direct flights from Brussels to 44 European sameday air stations per week.

  "This translates into an increased route frequency that enables time:matters to offer its customers an even more comprehensive sameday service, due to greater flexibility when selecting the fastest connections and the significant reduction of transport times," claimed time:matters.

  The special logistics provider said the expansion of the sameday route network benefitted its customers in Belgium and throughout the rest of Europe. "The use of Brussels Airport as an additional hub for the transport of European sameday shipments also in part significantly reduces transport times to and from Belgium as well as to cross-border destinations. Therefore, a sameday shipment from Warsaw to Maastricht can be flown via Brussels, instead of via Frankfurt and Amsterdam, as was previously the case. This in turn decreases the transport time by two hours to merely four hours."

  Time:matters added that the partnership was also a great advantage in terms of the direct connections that Brussels Airlines flew to from its headquarters in Brussels, "which completely eliminate transit flights via Frankfurt or Munich that were previously necessary".

  ---

  2008

  September - time:matters opened a branch office in Belgium.

  The branch concerned was located in Mechelen, a city halfway between Brussels and Antwerp. time:matters, which was headquartered in Neu-Isenburg near Frankfurt am Main, said that with the establishment of the new Belgian branch, it was represented in six European countries - Germany, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, Poland and the Netherlands. In addition, the organisation operated a branch office in Singapore which was responsible for the Asia Pacific region.

  The company said it saw demand for its transport solutions for extremely time-critical shipments in the Belgian market arising mainly in the automotive, high-tech and pharmaceutical and life science industries.

  "Shipments throughout Europe and beyond can be transported and delivered 'sameday', meaning that very same day," stated time:matters. In order to achieve that, continued the logistics service provider, the company could draw on its dense 'Air-Rail-Road transport network' which numerous partners belonged to − for example airlines such as Lufthansa, Swiss or Air Berlin and rail organisation Deutsche Bahn.

  "Due to this network, important spare parts for car manufacturing can, for example, successfully be delivered from Vigo (Spain) to the Belgian city of Brussels within four hours, where they arrive just in time to prevent production from coming to a standstill at a car assembly plant." 

  ---

  August - International courier, sameday and emergency logistics service provider time:matters announced that it had gained Siemens Healthcare (Erlangen, Germany), a business unit of Siemens AG, as a customer for the time-critical spare parts logistics segment. The logistics provider, part of German airline group Lufthansa, said it had entered into a cooperation agreement with retroactive effect from April 1, 2008.

  As part of that agreement, continued time:matters, it had taken on spare parts supply in Scandinavian countries as well as in Italy for Siemens Healthcare, one of the world's largest suppliers to the healthcare industry. "Siemens Healthcare manufactures and distributes a wide range of live-saving and vital high-tech equipment for clinics and doctors' offices - such as diagnostic systems and therapy equipment, but also complete IT solutions," explained time:matters.

  The logistics company said that following Fujitsu Siemens Computers, time:matters had within a short time been able to gain another corporate customer from the Siemens Group for its logistics services. "For instance, time:matters maintains a special 'in-night network' for Siemens Healthcare which ensures that spare parts for sensitive medical equipment can be transported overnight from the spare parts warehouse to the place that they are needed - within 12 to 14 hours," it stated.

  "Therefore, it is, for example, possible to ensure that a component, which is urgently needed for the repair of a defective magnetic resonance tomograph, is picked up at the spare parts warehouse at 1830 hours and is already at the respective clinic's disposal at 0800 hours the next morning. In addition to the 'in-night service', other services can also be implemented and are selected according to the individual needs of each specific case of application." 

  ---

  July - Time:matters, the special service provider for courier, sameday and emergency logistics which is part of Lufthansa, announced that it had gained Fujitsu Siemens Computers GmbH (Munich) as a customer for the 'time-critical spare parts logistics' segment.

  The logistics provider said that following the successful completion of a pilot phase that started in December 2007, it had taken on Fujitsu Siemens Computers' time-critical spare parts supply for areas of Europe, with effect from April 1 this year. It described Fujitsu Siemens Computers as the leading European IT infrastructure provider and market leader in Germany..

  Time:matters said its established special speed solutions for especially urgent or particularly important shipments had served as the basis for logistics solutions that were adapted specifically for Fujitsu Siemens Computers.

  A combination of road and air transport would be utilised for the high-speed transport of urgently needed spare parts from the central warehouses in Germany to Fujitsu Siemens Computers operations at German and European destinations.

  The service allows for a multitude of different types of solutions as they are needed for various distinct situations: it therefore arranges customers according to zip code area or a specific time for each individual place of delivery, which represents the latest possible delivery time. One of the main service elements of the logistics solution is the option to, within Europe, combine an extremely late pick-up of the spare part in the evening with a particularly early delivery the next morning.

  ---

  June - Lufthansa Group courier, sameday and emergency logistics provider time:matters opened a branch office in Singapore.

  The new operation, time:matters (Asia Pacific) Ltd, would serve as the organisation's headquarters in east and southeast Asia as well as for the Pacific area and would be accountable for on-site customer service. Following the establishment of European branches in Switzerland and Austria, Poland and the Netherlands, the new site in Singapore was time:matters' first Asian branch office. Up to now, the company had been represented locally by sales agents from German parent company Lufthansa Cargo in more than 20 Asian cities. The company said the number of time:matters' own offices on the Asian continent would be increased in the coming months.

  "With the establishment of the branch office in Singapore, time:matters is taking into account that the need for extremely fast, yet at the same time highly reliable, logistics solutions is increasing worldwide − especially on intercontinental routes - which particularly applies to the Asia-Pacific region," stated the company.

  "Manufacturing processes that are characterised by the increasing outsourcing of individual production steps as well as the continual reduction of storage, also cause logistics − especially in the Asia-Pacific area − to be faced with new challenges with regards to speed and punctuality. time:matters orients itself towards these requirements."

  ---

  January - time:matters, part of German airline group Lufthansa, was continuing its strategy of internationalisation with the takeover of Dutch express logistics provider JNE.   Effective during January, 100% of the shares in JNE Netherlands BV had been transferred to Time:matters Holding GmbH although no details of the financial side of the deal were being made public.

  As a result of the acquisition, the founder and former owner of JNE, Ben Hofs, had been appointed managing director of the new Dutch Time:matters subsidiary. He would be assisted by the co-managing director, Dr Arne Schulke, chief financial officer of the German Time:matters Holding. All the employees of JNE had been taken over by the new company.

  Whereas previously the expansion concentrated on organic growth in the form of the setting up of its own sales offices and subsidiaries (2006: first foreign subsidiary in Zurich; 2007: further dependencies in Shanghai, Vienna and Warsaw), Time:matters had now taken over an established company for the first time.

  The integration of the Benelux countries in the Time:matters network was an important step in the frame of its internationalisation. The region, in which, for example, numerous European distribution centres had been established, provided great potential for time-critical replacement parts logistics - a segment, which was increasingly gaining in importance for Time:matters. 

  ---

  2007

  January - It was announced that Buchanan Capital Partners had taken out a majority stake in time:matters, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lufthansa Cargo AG. The new ownership structure is designed to expedite the expansion of the company, which specialises in express logistics services. Neither company has disclosed details of the transaction.

  Since its spin-off from Lufthansa Cargo in 2002, time:matters GmbH has grown profitably, posting two-digit increases in yearly revenues. To finance further growth, Lufthansa sought an equity partner willing to invest in the company in the framework of a buyout.  Lufthansa Cargo re-invested in a 49% stake in the logistics specialist.
  

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