Lufthansa Cargo keeps MD-11 retirement plan

[caption id="attachment_413448" align="alignright" width="460"] Lufthansa Cargo currently has six MD-11Fs left, along with seven 777Fs. (Photo: Lufthansa Cargo)[/caption] For now, Lufthansa Cargo is sticking to its plan to withdraw all six of its remaining MD-11Fs by the end of the year, despite the current high demand for capacity. Lufthansa Cargo CEO Peter Gerber told Cargo Facts the carrier had begun an internal discussion earlier this year about phasing out the MD-11Fs even earlier due to weak demand. But not long after that the world spiraled into chaos and the COVID-19 pandemic obliterated much of the world’s belly capacity. Those discussions were quickly abandoned, and the timeline reverted to that of the original plan. Lufthansa Cargo decided in November 2019 to bring forward the retirement of its MD-11Fs and ordered two more 777Fs, due for delivery later this year. The carrier recently removed another MD-11F (48801) from service and ferried it to Victorville (VCV) for storage in March. Unit 48801 has been acquired by FedEx Express and was reregistered with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on March 27. FedEx has also acquired three other ex-Lufthansa MD-11Fs (48785, 48798 and 48002), while UPS took two frames (48805 and 48806) in January and is committed to three more . According to Gerber, while the demand in the eastbound direction has changed to mostly consist of urgent shipments of medical supplies from China, cargo flying to China is currently in line with the normal mix of goods, including automotive parts, machinery and pharmaceuticals. To that end, Lufthansa Cargo is continuing to fly its scheduled network to primary markets and will keep that as the backbone of its capacity offering. To cope with the additional demand, particularly for aid and relief supplies, the carrier is flying passenger aircraft with cargo only on a charter basis. Gerber said the carrier is working to lower the costs for this, which remains a costly operation, given the much lower payload and capacity compared to a 777F or an MD-11F. Removing passenger seats is an option, but requires approval from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). If there is a higher demand for freighter capacity, Gerber said the carrier would have to decide on the most economic way to add capacity. If the demand is unlikely to last more than several weeks or months, it would be inappropriate to add new freighters, he said. For now, Lufthansa Cargo is evaluating the markets daily. In the meantime, Lufthansa Cargo has prepared a cost-reduction program called “ProFlex,” which calls for streamlining sales and handling operations when the carrier transitions to a single fleet of 777Fs, and is aimed at streamlining processes through digitalization. The initiative will be implemented once the current crisis is resolved, said Gerber. Cargo Facts Asia 2020 will be held on April 21-22, as a virtual event, continuing its keen focus on the Asia market. Although the event will look much different, the excellent content will remain the same, with the best and brightest minds addressing the most pressing industry issues for Asia Pacific — including those around COVID-19. To register and for more information, visit www.cargofactsasia.com .

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