August 19, 2009

New European Cargo Carrier Lands at Sea-Tac Airport

Enhancing the Pacific Northwest region's trade links to Europe, the Port of Seattle will welcome Lufthansa Cargo Airlines as a new freighter service to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport with their first arrival on Thursday, August 20. Lufthansa's MD-11 freighter will serve Sea-Tac twice a week from Frankfurt, Germany, with a connection continuing to Los Angeles.
 
"Adding Lufthansa Cargo at Sea-Tac expands trade opportunities to Europe for regional industries and consumers," said Bill Bryant, Port of Seattle Commission President.
 
This will be the third freighter service from Sea-Tac to Europe and serves a market (Frankfurt) previously not served by freighter. Other European freighters serving Sea-Tac are Cargolux to Luxembourg and Martinair to Amsterdam. Currently, the airport is served by four freighter services to Asia.
 
Lufthansa German Airlines only recently began passenger service to Sea-Tac in March of 2008. Lufthansa Cargo, a wholly-owned Lufthansa subsidiary, provides belly-cargo service on these passenger flights, however, the freighter addition will add "main-deck" cargo capacity that allows for larger items to be shipped by air and greater volumes per flight. Lufthansa Cargo's MD-11 freighter is capable of transporting more than 90 tons of cargo at its full range capability.
 
"Adding Sea-Tac to our freighter network will strengthen the position of Lufthansa Cargo in the West Coast market," remarked Klaus Holler, Vice President - The Americas at Lufthansa Cargo AG.  "Moreover, it shows how fast and flexible we are responding to market demands even, and especially, in an overall challenging market environment."
 
Specifically, one route will run from Frankfurt to Seattle and then on to Los Angeles. A second route will also connect through Toronto before reaching Seattle and continuing to LAX. Both routes return to Frankfurt from LAX. Sea-Tac is the eighth U.S airport to be served by Lufthansa Cargo Airlines with freighter service.
 
After growing 4% in 2007, international air freight at Sea-Tac declined 5% in 2008 as the country and world began to experience the economic downturn. Over the past 10 years, international air freight has increased at Sea-Tac, going from less than 17% of total airport cargo volumes in 1999 to 29% in 2008.