Lufthansa Cargo, China Post make PVG-FRA capacity share deal

Lufthansa Cargo CEO Peter Gerber and vice president of China Post Group Corporation Li Xiong met in Beijing this week to establish a new deal in which Lufthansa will share its capacity with the Chinese postal service on the carrier’s Shanghai (PVG) – Frankfurt (FRA) route.

The agreement, which the companies called “the foundation of a strategic cooperation,” will provide China Post with the capacity of one 777 freighter on a weekly basis.

Gerber said the agreement is evidence “growing importance of the cross-border e-commerce market.”

Demand for transportation on trans-Eurasian trade lanes goes back to the days of the Silk Road, but these days, consumers on both the gamut expect products to be delivered swiftly, generating demand for quicker transportation methods between the regions, like air freight.

Li Xiong said the endeavor will help the companies to “jointly build a more stabilized and comprehensive channel of air mail transportation connecting China and Europe.”

China Post and Lufthansa Cargo have been in cooperation for years with a focus on stations in Beijing and Guangzhou. This new capacity-share arrangement is likely a jumping off point, with potential for its scope to expand in the future.