Lufthansa Cargo announced the expansion of its freighter fleet by introducing its third Airbus A321 converted freighter. This addition is a component of the airline’s efforts to strengthen its e-commerce offerings throughout the European route network.
‘Dia dhuit Ireland’
Lufthansa Cargo follows the practice of naming its aircraft after the markets they serve. The newly added Airbus A321 has been named ‘Dia dhuit Ireland,’ which translates from the Gaelic language as ‘God bless you, Ireland.’ The opposite two A321 freighters are called ‘Merhaba Türkiye’ and ‘Hello Europe.’
Lufthansa’s latest A321 freighter, registered as D-AEUI, is 11.2 years old and has previously been utilized for passenger operations with multiple airlines, including Air Berlin, Niki, Lauda Motion, Eurowings, and Lufthansa Technik, as per data from Planespotters.net. Before joining Lufthansa Cargo’s fleet, the Airbus A321 spent several months in Singapore, where it underwent conversion from a passenger aircraft to a freighter aircraft (P2F).
Photo: Lufthansa
The dual-engine freighter is viewed as a flexible aircraft in its class, offering fast loading and unloading and enabling highly efficient flight operations. The aircraft now has 14 pallet and container positions on the foremost deck and ten on the lower deck. Based on the airline, this allows a maximum payload capability of 28 tons, allowing for a spread of three,500 kilometers. With a maximum takeoff weight of 89 tons, the narrowbody jet can fly at a cruising speed of 840km/h.
The most recent A321 freighter has already taken its first flight on the airline’s cargo route between Malta and Milan. Antonio Di Martino, Lufthansa Cargo’s Head of Sales and Handling for Italy & Malta, shared his thoughts on the route, stating:
“This route is one among our shortest freighter routes, but of great value for Malta because it opens up latest markets to the small island. After two months of frequencies, we’re pleased with the event and see a number of Vulnerable and Dangerous Goods, but additionally Live Animals on this routing. We’re glad our A321F fleet is getting stronger with an extra aircraft.”
The converted narrowbody aircraft is ready to further enhance Lufthansa Cargo’s global route network by deploying it on routes closer to its base. This includes quite a few short and medium-range destinations inside Europe and beyond, which can eventually be incorporated into the A321’s operations.
Over a 12 months of A321F operations
Lufthansa has been operating its Airbus A321 converted freighters for greater than a 12 months now. The carrier has noted its satisfaction with the capabilities of the freighter, which might offer fast and versatile cargo solutions each scheduled and charter.
Lufthansa Cargo operated its first A321F revenue flight on March 15, 2022, flown by D-AEUC, before adding its second converted freighter, registered as D-AEUA, in September. The airline plans to have a complete of 4 A321 converted freighters by the top of summer 2023.
Photo: Lufthansa Cargo
Together with its three A321 freighters, Lufthansa Cargo operates a fleet of 11 Boeing 777Fs and belly capability in Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings Discover, and SunExpress aircraft.
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Sources: Planespotters.net