Lufthansa Cargo has announced that it will launch a brand-new freighter route from Munich Airport (MUC) next month.
The company said that from July 6, 2024, a Lufthansa Cargo Airbus A321 freighter will transport cargo between Munich and Istanbul Airport (IST) in Turkey twice a week.
This will be in addition to the carrier’s existing belly cargo operations from Munich using mainly Lufthansa, Brussels Airlines, Discover Airlines, Austrian Airlines and SunExpress passenger aircraft.
“We are looking forward to offering our customers this new freighter connection, which makes our global network even more attractive. For our southern German customers in particular, Munich Airport offers ideal conditions for the fast and reliable transportation of air freight, which ultimately also enables global business from another important European airport,” said Ashwin Bhat, CEO of Lufthansa Cargo.
The freighter boss added: “With the launch of our cargo operations out of Munich, we are laying the foundation for aligning our network even more closely with the needs of our customers in the future and continuing to manage it flexibly.”
The new freighter connection is planned every Saturday and Sunday with flight numbers LH8350 / LH8351 and LH8346 / LH8347.
At Lufthansa Cargo’s 38,000 m² Munich base the company runs its CEIV-certified Pharma Hub, in which temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical products can be stored and handled under optimal conditions.
“The launch of regular cargo flights to Istanbul by Lufthansa Cargo is very good news for the Bavarian export industry and for Munich Airport. Above-average growth rates in the current year have already shown that Munich Airport is also becoming increasingly important as a hub airport for cargo,” said Jost Lammers, CEO of Flughafen München GmbH.