The air cargo handling business is a tough one, with handlers competing hard against each other to win lucrative airline contracts for cargo, passenger and ramp handling. It is not often that one sees partnerships between both parties extending over two decades.
LUG & Korean Air Cargo are an exception
LUG aircargo handling has its headquarters at Frankfurt Airport’s Cargo City South where it is rated as being FRA’s largest independent air cargo handler. The company also has operations at the
Munich and Hamburg airports.
However, FRA is the largest of all three with LUG occupying large warehouse and office space in Cargo City South and also can boast direct ramp access for its cargo handling activities. LUG which
was founded in 1966 in FRA, has in the meantime grown to become a household name at the airport as well as in MUC and HAM.
Long-standing partnership
Many carriers trust their cargo handling activities to LUG, but none as long as Korean Air Cargo. The Seoul-based airline has been a LUG customer for the past 22 years, having signed its original
contract with the handler in May 1997.
Korean Air has grown in the past two decades to become one of the world’s largest air cargo carriers, utilising belly space in their large long-haul passenger fleet as well as operating twelve
Boeing 777 freighters and eleven Boeing 747Fs. The older B747-400Fs are gradually being phased out in favour of the newer and more fuel-efficient Triple Seven freighters.
During the past two decades, LUG has accompanied Korean Air Cargo in their growth process and the relationship has become one of mutual trust. Therefore, no wonder that Korean last week decided
to extend the present cargo handling contract for a further three years, until 2022. Korean now operate daily non-stop passenger services to Seoul as well as up to nine full freighter operations
each week.
Pursuing the right strategy, Tschirch
Both parties are more than happy with the new contract extension.
Jochen Golle, Korean Air Cargo Traffic Manager Germany & Denmark stated: “we are very happy to continue our successful partnership with LUG in Frankfurt. Together we provide unsurpassed
premium logistics solutions tailored to the demands of customers in Germany and neighboring countries.”
And - LUG’s CEO, Patrik Tschirch added: “the contract extension confirms in my mind that we are pursuing the right strategy with our strong emphasis on quality. It also consolidates LUG’s
position as the leading independent family owned GHA in Germany.”
LUG an important part of the Dettmer Group
LUG aircargo handling is owned by the Bremen, Germany-based Dettmer Group which started business just after the end of the second World War. In the beginning it was just barge transport on
Germany’s waterways - this however grew quickly to encompass Container Packaging, Rail Logistics, Storage and many other activities.
The air cargo handling arm under the LUG management is an important part of the Dettmer Group activities, giving the company an important profile in the aviation handling scene.
Korean Air’s confidence in LUG is proven with the long standing relationship. This surely also applies to other customers in the handler's portfolio.
John Mc Donagh
Write a comment
Uwe Seidel (Monday, 09 September 2019 19:30)
Hi John,
ja, das ist schon erstaunlich in der schnelllebigen Welt des Luftfrachthandlings.
Ich freue mich, dass diese Verbindung, die ich seinerzeit als CEO LUG vereinbart habe, heute noch besteht.
Uwe Seidel (Tuesday, 10 September 2019 09:31)
Hi John,
Yes, really quite an extraordinary achievement in the air cargo handling scene. I am very happy that this connection, that I as CEO at the time started, still exists today.
John Mc Donagh (Tuesday, 10 September 2019 09:33)
Uwe,
Many thanks for your comment. You are right, although the business has changed , there are still loyalties out there. Brgds John