Lufthansa Cargo intends serving the Nigerian capital twice weekly beginning in mid-September by deploying an MD-11F. Lagos is the first destination in West Africa that becomes part of the carrier’s global freighter network.

The initial flight on 15 September from Frankfurt to Lagos will be a true premier: Never before has Lufthansa Cargo operated freighter aircraft to any destination in the western parts of Africa,
charter missions excluded. The Monday and Thursday conducted flights take from Frankfurt to Lagos and go on to Johannesburg. From there the craft returns via stopover in Nairobi to its home base
Rhine-Main.
Why Lagos? Because the Nigerian economy has meanwhile become the largest in Africa with an estimated nominal GDP of €386 bn (2014), thus surpassing South Africa’s predicted €267 bn. In 2013, the
real gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 7.4 percent, which was the highest in Sub-Sahara Africa.
Adding value to exports of primary products “could help Nigeria climb up the value chain towards industrialization and provide opportunities to bring the large informal sector progressively into
the formal economy, thereby making growth more inclusive and offering a high potential for job creation, increased income and poverty reduction,” writes author Barbara Barungi in the latest
edition of the African Economic Outlook.
This positive Nigerian economic development LH Cargo intends to capitalize on. Emphasizes Carsten Wirths, VP Europe & Africa: “Adding Lagos to our freighter network considerably strengthens
our involvement in West Africa.”
The region is rich on oil and gas finds. Due to the upcoming flights, urgently required spare parts, components and equipment for oil production facilities can now be transported directly to
Nigeria. “A total of 170 tons of capacity will be available each week to Lufthansa Cargo customers on this route,” states the carrier in a press release.
In addition to the freighter, LH Cargo offers the market transport capacity in the holds of their daily Airbus A330 passenger flights from Frankfurt to Lagos, Port Harcourt and Abuja. The
aircraft is capable of uplifting around 15 tons of cargo each departure, depending on the number of travelers and their luggage. Other places Lufthansa is currently serving in West Africa are
Accra (Ghana), Malabo Equatorial Guinea) and Luanda (Angola).
In the context of Lufthansa Cargo’s “Name the Plane” campaign the airline announces the naming of another freighter. It will be an MD-11F, bearing the name MERHABA, which is Turkish and
means that a new naming of one of their freighters
MD-11
Konichiwa Japan こんにちは日本 D-ALCG
777
Good Day,
USA
D-ALFA
Jambo
Kenya
D-ALFB
Ni Hao, China 你好, 中国
D-ALFC
Olá
Brazil
D-ALFD
“In Nigeria alone, Lufthansa Cargo offers freight capacity on board Lufthansa Passenger Airlines flights to three destinations. Besides Lagos, Lufthansa also flies to Port Harcourt and Abuja with
an Airbus A330. Accra (Ghana), Malabo (Equatorial Guinea) and Luanda (Angola) are further destinations in West Africa.
As a result, the country now boasts of having the largest economy in Africa with an estimated nominal GDP of USD 510 billion, surpassing South Africa’s USD 352 billion. The exercise also reveals
a more diversified economy than previously thought. Nigeria has maintained its impressive growth over the past decade with a record estimated 7.4% growth of real gross domestic product (GDP) in
2013, up from 6.7% in 2012. This growth rate is higher than the West African sub regional level and far higher than the sub-Saharan Africa level. The performance of the economy continues to be
underpinned by favourable improvements in the non-oil sector, with real GDP growth of 5.4%, 8.3% and 7.8% in 2011, 2012 and 2013, respectively. Agriculture – particularly crop production – trade
and services continue to be the main drivers of non-oil sector growth. The oil sector growth performance was not as impressive with 3.4%, -2.3% and 5.3% estimated growth rates in 2011, 2012 and
2013, correspondingly. Growth of the oil sector was hampered throughout 2013 by supply disruptions arising from oil theft and pipeline vandalism, and by weak investment in upstream activities
with no new oil finds.
Cargo airline strengthens presence in West Africa

Lufthansa Cargo is further integrating Lagos into its own network through twice-weekly freighter flights. From 15 September, a Lufthansa Cargo MD-11 freighter will take off from Frankfurt for the
Nigerian city every Monday and Thursday.
Lagos is an important destination for the oil and gas industry in particular. Urgently required spare parts and equipment for oil production facilities can now be transported even faster to
Nigeria, and with greater flexibility. A total of 170 tonnes of capacity will be available each week to Lufthansa Cargo customers on this route from September.
Following a brief stop, the freighter will fly on to Johannesburg. The return leg to Frankfurt will include a stopover in Nairobi. Another two weekly flights from Frankfurt to Johannesburg will
also stop in Nairobi on the southbound flight.
“Adding Lagos to our freighter network considerably strengthens our involvement in West Africa”, emphasised Carsten Wirths, Vice President Europe & Africa at Lufthansa Cargo. In Nigeria
alone, Lufthansa Cargo offers freight capacity on board Lufthansa Passenger Airlines flights to three destinations. Besides Lagos, Lufthansa also flies to Port Harcourt and Abuja with an Airbus
A330. Accra (Ghana), Malabo (Equatorial Guinea) and Luanda (Angola) are further destinations in West Africa.
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