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21-Oct-2011 9:01 AM

Lufthansa Cargo to lose 'tens of millions of euros' from night flight ban at Frankfurt Airport

Lufthansa Cargo has underlined (20-Oct-2011) the need for individual cargo flights at night-time at Frankfurt International Airport and stated the "provisional night-flight ban in Frankfurt is a drastic signal for the German logistics industry". The carrier noted the halt on night flights from its Frankfurt hub would cost the carrier "tens of millions of euros". The carrier noted the "immense consequences" ensuing for the international logistics industry from the provisional night-flight ban clamped at short notice by a regional court on Frankfurt Airport from 30-Oct-2011. Following the ruling, Lufthansa Cargo has put together an emergency timetable for the period after 30-Oct-2011. A number of flights have had to be relocated to daytime slots or to the early and late hours of the day. Individual connections - to China, for example - have been cancelled entirely. Other services bound for China would have to stop over at Cologne/Bonn Airport for several hours after an evening departure from Frankfurt so as to operate, as originally planned, at night-time in the direction of the Far East. Meanwhile, from Jan-2012, at least one MD-11 freighter is to be transferred from Frankfurt to Cologne/Bonn Airport to operate services to North America. Lufthansa Cargo has yet to come up with a long-term alternative for its operations should the night flight ban be upheld by a new court ruling, due in 2012. [more - original PR]

Lufthansa Cargo: "The night-flight ban has forced us to lay on a timetable, which in part is economically and ecologically absurd. 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....As export world champion, Germany is reliant on dependable connections to ship airfreight 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... Closing the world's seventh biggest airport for six hours each night and thereby decoupling it from the international goods flows constitutes a severe blow to the air traffic industry. No other transport mode is subject to such operational restrictions," Karl Ulrich Garnadt, chairman. Source: Company statement, 20-Oct-2011.

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