Lufthansa Cargo and SAS Cargo have prepared a plan to extend the Lufthansa/SAS strategic partnership - which has to date concentrated on passenger operations - into the cargo field. From the end of March, the airlines' cargo sales teams will offer both companies' products and services. Integration of marketing activities and co-operation in product development will follow.
Aircraft operations will be co-ordinated, with shared freight capacity aboard Lufthansa and SAS cargo aircraft. The partners plan to integrate freight handling by the end of 2000.
Lufthansa Cargo is also planning to extend co-operation with other Lufthansa strategic partners. Since late 1996, the German company has been running joint cargo operations with United Airlines between Paris and San Francisco, chosen as "test markets".
Lufthansa Cargo says that it is now trying to extend this into other North American and European markets. Talks on cargo co-operation began early in the Lufthansa/United partnership, but have taken time to bear fruit, partly because of differences in the companies' cargo philosophies. For instance, United offers only belly-freight capacity, while Lufthansa Cargo also operates dedicated freighters.
Lufthansa Cargo hopes, too, to expand its joint cargo operations with Singapore Airlines into Sharjah, and to develop a Bangkok hub with Thai International.
Source: Flight International
