Lufthansa starts freighter services to Hyderabad

Lufthansa Cargo AG, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lufthansa German Airlines, has started a weekly two-way freighter flight to Hyderabad from Frankfurt. The new flight augments the capacities already available on Lufthansa passenger flights.

According to Lufthansa Cargo regional manager (India and Middle East), Carsten Hernig, the German airline is the first to offer freighter service to Hyderabad. "With the new connections we can offer our customers very special routings to other fast growing markets," he said.

Though Lufthansa Cargo had been affected by the current recession, Hernig said its Indian operations were not impacted by “major adjustments of our flight schedules.”

Stating that India was still one of the most dynamic markets with high growth potential, he said Lufthansa's Chinese joint venture, Jade Cargo International, would also begin regular freighter services for the first time between China, India and Africa from April 15. The twice weekly flights from Shanghai would be routed through Shenzhen to Chennai and then via Sharjah to Lagos in Nigeria.

“With a lot of pharmaceutical products moving into the African continent, the new connection will benefit Hyderabad,” Hernig said at an event organised here to celebrate the launch of freighter service.

Chief executive officer of GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL), PS Nair, said another international airline, Cathay Pacific, was also keen on starting freighter flights to the Rajiv Gandhi airport. “We can see a quantum jump in cargo handling in a couple of years,” he said, adding cargo movement from the Hyderabad international airport was expected to go up to 75,000 tonnes in 2009-10 from 53,000 tonnes in 2008-09.

Of the 53,000 tonnes of cargo handled last year, 30,000 tonnes were exported. The exports mostly comprised pharmaceuticals, solar panels and machinery.