First Airbus A321 converted into freighter for Lufthansa CityLine arrives in Germany

Last July, Lufthansa Cargo had announced its intention to complement its European network, currently provided by passenger aircraft and Road Feeder Services RFS, with a continental cargo offering. This is because the company sees attractive market opportunities in European airfreight, driven by the strong growth of e-commerce and the high demands of transporting goods such as pharmaceuticals and automotive. Growth for cross-border eCommerce shipments is forecast at around 20 percent per year for the next five years. Consumers expect ever shorter delivery times for their ordered goods. This is also increasing the need for air freight connections within Europe. Airbus A321s, converted into freighters and operated by Lufthansa CityLine, were to be used for this supplementary continental cargo service. Two of these aircraft were initially planned, and both Cargo and CityLine have been eagerly awaiting their first baby ever since.
At 8:39 p.m. on Sunday evening, the time had come: touchdown for the D-AEUC, the first freighter in Lufthansa CityLine’s history that the airline will operate on behalf of Lufthansa Cargo. Gleaming white, sleek and elegant, it now stands on the apron in Munich. It took the uniformed Charlie exactly 29 hours from its departure in Singapore, where the aircraft was converted from a passenger jet to a cargo jet, with a stopover in Colombo, an overnight stay in Muscat and another refueling stop in Larnaca, until colleagues from CityLine and Cargo were able to receive it in Erdinger Moos. Lufthansa Technik had taken over the organization and responsibility for the transfer and had commissioned an external cockpit crew specialized in ferry flights.

The transfer to Munich is an important milestone on the way to the commercial maiden flight, which is scheduled for mid-March. Preparations are in full swing at all levels for the operation of the first cargo aircraft of this type in Germany: clearance of aviation law issues, contract negotiations with the companies involved, continuous coordination between Lufthansa Cargo and Lufthansa CityLine, crew training for the Airbus A321 type, and technical acceptance and flotation into CityLine’s CAMO and AOC. Once all this has been accomplished, the final transfer to Frankfurt will take place.

With the long-term converted freighters that Lufthansa CityLine will operate for Lufthansa Cargo, Lufthansa Cargo will offer its customers additional cargo capacities within Europe and on medium-haul routes from mid-March 2022. In addition to freight forwarders, integrators and postal companies, eCommerce providers will be customers for this offer. Destinations served will be Istanbul, Tel Aviv, Manchester, Dublin, Tunis and Malta from and to Frankfurt.