Cathay Pacific Cargo and Lufthansa Cargo Under One Roof for Frankfurt Ground Handling
Cathay Pacific Cargo’s freight handling has been relocated into the Lufthansa Cargo Centre in Frankfurt as part of the Joint Business Agreement announced in May last year between the two airlines’ cargo divisions. The merging of freight handling of imports and exports was concluded on 17 January this year.
Both airlines are working together on network planning and sales as well as IT and service expansion. Both plan to transport the first joint shipment on 1 February 2017 initially from Hong Kong to Europe. In 2018, eastbound shipments from Europe to Hong Kong will be introduced.
Etihad Airways and Lufthansa Catering Agreement and MoU for MRO
Etihad Airways has concluded a US$100 million global catering agreement and Memorandum of Understanding to cooperate in aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul. Lufthansa’s LSG Sky Chefs will provide catering services to Etihad Airways in 16 cities in Europe, Asia and the Americas in the four-year catering contract. Etihad Aviation Group and Lufthansa Technik (LHT) also signed an MoU to explore cooperation in maintenance, repair and overhaul services across Etihad Airways and its airline equity partners, and opportunities for synergies with Etihad Airways Engineering. Both airlines are exploring further cooperation in a number of areas such as freight operations, procurement and passenger services to improve their competitive offering globally and in the European market.
Etihad Airways and Lufthansa’s codeshare agreement previously announced goes on sale today 1 February 2017 for flights between Abu Dhabi and Germany. Lufthansa will place its ‘LH’ code on Etihad Airways’ twice daily flights between its Abu Dhabi hub and both Frankfurt and Munich. Etihad will put its ‘EY’ code on Lufthansa’s long-haul, non-stop intercontinental services between its home base in Frankfurt and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and Bogota in Colombia. The codeshare agreement will give Lufthansa increased access to important feeder markets throughout the Indian Subcontinent via Abu Dhabi, while Etihad will gain access into South America through Germany. Etihad Airways will also move its operations at Lufthansa’s hubs from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1 in Frankfurt and Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 in Munich.
Lufthansa Group also signed an agreement in December last year with airberlin, in which Etihad Aviation Group holds a 29% stake, for the wet lease of 38 aircraft. Lufthansa’s point-to-point carrier Eurowings will wet lease 33 aircraft while Austrian Airlines, a Lufthansa Group airline, will take on the remaining five aircraft. This agreement will last six years and begin on 10 February this year when the first aircraft starts operating for Eurowings.
