GERMANY'S POSTAL service Deutsche Post is to issue, for the first time, an international invitation to tender for internal German nighttime airmail services. The tender will be issued later this month.
Deutsche Post says that the new contract will begin on 26 October, and will be worth "three-figure millions" of German deutsche marks overall. It remains to be seen whether the entire network will be awarded to a single carrier, or whether it will be divided between several airlines.
The postal service has had a series of contracts with Lufthansa since 1961 and for the last two years has also used the services of Munich-based Deutsche BA and Dortmund-based Eurowings.
The current nighttime mail network uses 26 aircraft, 255 days a year. In an average night, 430t of post is carried on 45 inland flights between 23.00 and 03.00.
Deutsche Post says that aircraft now in use in the network include Boeing 737s and Airbus A300s, as well as the smaller BAe 146 and the ATR 72 turboprop.
Source: Flight International
