DHL Express and Lufthansa Cargo have taken a further step towards creating a joint cargo subsidiaryto fly key intercontinental routes to and from the new EUR 300 million DHL European air hub at
Leipzig/Halle airport that is due to open in August 2008.The two companies formally applied on August 24 for German cartel office approval for “ajoint airline for cargo flights”, the cartel office announced on August 31. The anti-trust bodywill now review the application. Neither company disclosed any further details.
German media reported in June that DHL and Lufthansa Cargo plan to establish a joint ventureairline to operate intercontinental flights to and from Leipzig from 2009 onwards. The airlinecould have a fleet of some 10 cargo aircraft, either B747-400 or B777 freighters.
The two companies already cooperate closely. Under a five-year joint venture agreement thatstarted in 2004, DHL Express has contracted the bulk of capacity on a number of LufthansaCargo-operated MD-11F flights from Germany.
Lufthansa Cargo will relocate 18 JV flights from Cologne to Leipzig/Halle Airport fromOctober 28, 2007, as part of the gradual build-up of the DHL Express hub which is due to go intofull operation in August 2008. The 18 flights include five weekly services to New York (via EastMidlands) and three to the DHL US air hub at Wilmington/Ohio, as well as five weekly flights toHong Kong and five to Singapore and Delhi. There are no changes planned yet for the five weeklyBrussels – New York services and the weekly Frankfurt-Wilmington and East Midlands-Wilmingtonflights.
