Lufthansa Cargo, a subsidiary of Lufthansa, has recently added Tunisia and Nigeria to its cargo network.
With increased demand coming from Tunisia, the freight airline is increasing its presence on the continent for its 2014-2015 winter flight plan. In September, Lufthansa Cargo began flying to Lagos, Nigeria twice a week, and at the end of October will begin flying to Tunis, the Tunisian capital. A spokesperson for Lufthansa Cargo told Automotive Logistics that the company hopes automotive will be a growing part of its business in Tunisia.
Hermann Zunker, director Africa at Lufthansa Cargo said, "As a growth market, Africa is becoming more and more important. Tunisia has become one of the most competitive countries in Africa. Strong imports of consumer goods as well as growing demand for exports to the automotive and textile industries, above all, are continuing to increase the need for air cargo."
In addition to the increased presence in Africa, All Nippon Airways, the largest airline in Japan, and Lufthansa Cargo will begin a joint venture towards the end of 2014, with the first shipment planned for the start of December. This will be for routes between Japan and Europe.
Overall, Lufthansa Cargo will serve more than 300 destinations in over 100 countries. Europe has eight cargo destinations, Asia and the Middle East has 15 freight connections provided by Lufthansa Cargo, North America has seven cities served, Central and South America has eight destinations, and Africa will be represented by six cities. The spokesperson told Automotive Logistics that Lufthansa Cargo's key markets for automotive parts are North America, Japan, China, India and several European countries. There is also potential in Mexico, Brazil, South Africa, and some emerging economies in South Asia.
