Jade Cargo to start Frankfurt/Shenzhen service
Chinese all-cargo airline Jade Cargo International will start a thrice-weekly non-stop service between Frankfurt, Europe’s largest air cargo hub, and Shenzhen in Southern China, soon after it takes delivery of its fourth Boeing 747-400 Extended Range freighter at the end of this month.
Lufthansa Cargo, a 25 percent shareholder in Jade Cargo, will share the total per-flight capacity estimated at about 100 tons. “Jade Cargo is augmenting the Lufthansa Cargo network with its new service perfectly,” said Carsten Spohr, Lufthansa Cargo’s chief executive officer.
“This close cooperation is strengthening the Lufthansa Cargo Group. With Jade Cargo, we can harness excellent growth opportunities arising from a thriving Chinese airfreight market returning two-digit growth rates,” Spohr said.
Besides Lufthansa Cargo, Jade Cargo’s other shareholders are Shenzhen Airlines Co. Ltd. (51 percent) and German investment firm DEG-Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH (24 percent).
Jade Cargo has ordered six 747-400ERFs, with the fifth due for delivery in August and the last in January 2008.