Germany’s Lufthansa Cargo announced the opening of direct flights between Hanoi and Frankfurt last November, its first new route in four years.

Mr. Ashwin Bhat, Commercial Director of Lufthansa Cargo, told Vietnam Economic Times about why it went four years without opening a new international route and why it then chose Hanoi. “Four years of pandemic is the biggest reason preventing airlines from opening new routes,” he said. “However, everything is now getting back on track and re-accelerating, and we have just invested in more aircraft to expand our network.”

“Lufthansa Cargo expects Hanoi to become an important destination to help us create cultural and network connections,” he added. “We believe in the development potential of Vietnam’s economy, and we want to be a part of its economic growth.”

Lufthansa Cargo is a major German carrier headquartered in Frankfurt, with 16 Boeing 777F aircraft. During the Covid-19 period, it expanded its network to countries in Europe and invested in two more A321 aircraft.

It plans to invest in one more A321 and two more Boeing 777F aircraft over the next year, and will takes advantage of the network of 480 aircraft of Lufthansa and other carriers in transporting goods to more than 300 destinations worldwide.

“Having access to a network of 480 passenger aircraft and connections to more than 300 destinations worldwide makes Lufthansa Cargo confident in its ability to transport special goods, providing exceptional quality to serve customers in Vietnam,” Mr. Bhat said. “There will be four cargo flights to and from Vietnam weekly, with a capacity of 250 tons.”

Lufthansa Cargo posted revenue of EUR3.8 billion in 2021 and carried 7.2 billion tons of goods per kilometer, becoming a world leader in air freight.