Lufthansa Cargo and Austrian Airlines found joint subsidiary in Vienna

Lufthansa Cargo AG and Austrian Airlines have formed a joint company, Austrian Lufthansa Cargo GmbH, which will be headquartered in Vienna. As part of the close cooperation agreed between the two airlines, the new company will be responsible for marketing the entire freight capacity of aircraft operated by Austrian Airlines and Lufthansa Cargo in the Austrian market. All the freight handling activities in Austria and the expansion of Vienna airport into a further hub for Lufthansa Cargo will be managed by Austrian hold a 74 per cent stake in the new company, Austrian Airlines 26 per cent.

Franz Zöchbauer and Hasso Schmidt will assume management of the company, which will have a staff of about 120. Zöchbauer, who formerly headed the Austrian Cargo Division at Austrian Airlines, will be responsible, among other things, for expanding the Vienna hub. Hasso Schmidt holds the post of Director Austria, Eastern - & South Eastern Europe, Turkey and Israel at Lufthansa Cargo, and is based in Vienna. He will also assume responsibility for sales for Austrian Lufthansa Cargo GmbH while retaining his existing remit.

In February, Lufthansa Cargo and Austrian Cargo announced that they would begin cooperating closely in July of this year. Integrating Austrian Airlines’ capacities into Lufthansa Cargo’s product portfolio will give the two companies joint customers access to an even more extensive range of services. Processes will be standardised with the aim of achieving cost synergies.