The Leipzig/Halle (LEJ), Germany-based freight carrier intends to double its fleet. Internally, the green light for the decision was already given weeks ago, consented by leading managers of the Russian Volga-Dnepr Group.
The Group’s owner, Alexei Isaykin, who holds a European Union passport allowing him to incept and run an airline in the EU, is considered the initiator of the foundation and operation of
CargoLogic Germany (CLG). Although CLG is a legally independent company with its own AOC, it is closely linked to Volga-Dnepr and AirBridgeCargo Airlines. About two months ago, there was a
meeting in LEJ where high ranking managers of the Group presented CLG's future fleet policy plans, telling the participants that 3 additional B737-400P2F would join the fleet.
They also said that the aircraft would arrive in the course of 2021, operating primarily for integrators to distribute their intercontinental e-commerce and express shipments within Europe, as
the airline has already been doing with its existing 3 units since getting the AOC in 2019.
German FAA quiet, but CLG confirms
Having learned of the plans, CargoForwarder Global addressed the German Federal Aviation Authority (Luftfahrt-Bundesamt - LBA) about 3 weeks ago, asking the press department whether the regulator
was notified by CLG about any intended fleet expansion. No response has been received to date.
Instead, CLG Managing Director Dierk Naether has today (05APR21) confirmed the fleet plans to the online portal aeroTELEGRAPH, saying that the first of the 3 additional freighters “is already
expected to land in LEJ in the next one to two weeks." The other two units leased from San Francisco-based VX Capital Partners, would follow by the end of December.
Leipzig is catching up
The fleet expansion is music to LEJ Airport management's ears, as the additional transport capacity offered by CLG increases the freight volume handled at the airport (1.4 m tons 2020), which is
already No. 2 in Germany, after Frankfurt.
Currently, another personnel change at the top of the carrier is on the horizon. A British recruitment agency has been commissioned to find a candidate with a high level of commercial and
operational experience in the air freight business. He or she will presumably succeed Andrey Andreev, CLG’s current deputy managing director. The latter has announced via LinkedIn that he is
available for new job offers.
Heiner Siegmund
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