Lufthansa Cargo underlines need for night flights

Lufthansa Cargo has underlined its fears regarding the consequences ensuing for the international logistics industry from the provisional night-flight ban placed upon Frankfurt Airport from October 30, 2011 by a regional court.

Following the ruling from the administrative court in Hesse, issued a few days before the introduction of Lufthansa’s winter flight schedules, the company has put together an emergency timetable for the period after October 30. 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 flights bound for China would have to stop over at Cologne/Bonn Airport for several hours after an evening departure from Frankfurt so as to fly on, as originally planned, at night-time in the direction of the Far East. "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," commented Lufthansa Cargo Chairman Karl Ulrich Garnadt.

Furthermore from January, at least one MD-11 freighter is to be transferred from Frankfurt to Cologne/Bonn Airport. The freighter will operate the overnight flights for the German logistics industry to North America, which can no longer be guaranteed from Frankfurt because of the night-flight ban.

Lufthansa Cargo believes the provisional night-flight ban in Frankfurt is a drastic signal for the German logistics industry. Garnadt emphasised: "As export world champion, Germany is reliant on dependable connections to ship air freight 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."

The company said that it is hoping that the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig (the supreme court of appeal) would allow a minimum of necessary night flights in its final ruling.

Content provided in partnership with Transport Intelligence.

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