Cargolux has launched new service to Jakarta, the 16th destination in the company’s Asia-Pacific network. The inaugural flight took place on June 23; the aircraft was welcomed by a traditional water salute following touchdown.

An official ceremony was organized after the arrival of LX-ECV to celebrate the introduction of the LUX-CGK route. The new frequency connects Luxembourg to the Indonesian capital once a week. The flight leaves Luxembourg on Sunday and arrives in Jakarta on Monday. The rotation then continues through Hong Kong and Ashgabat before returning to Luxembourg on Tuesday morning.

Cargolux is the only cargo carrier to offer a direct main deck connection between Europe and Indonesia. This prime position, coupled with the company’s fleet of 747 freighters, allows the company to cater for a wide variety of commodities, as well as off-size freight such as oil and gas industry equipment, machinery, spare parts or aircraft engines. The main cargo transiting through the area will include apparel, footwear, pharmaceuticals perishables and live animals.

Domenico Ceci, Cargolux’s executive vice president for sales and marketing, says that adding Jakarta to the network is a welcome opportunity. “This new frequency contributes to enhancing our service offering in the Southeast Asia region and better connecting us with our customers in the area. Jakarta is an influential commercial centre, and we look forward to building local partnerships and furthering the city’s establishment as a global business gateway.”

Jakarta is the world’s second-largest urban agglomeration and home to the ASEAN secretariat, making it an attractive commercial destination. With prime geographical location in a dynamic region, The weekly scheduled all-cargo flight will further strengthen Cargolux’s footprint in the Asia-Pacific region and enable the development of commercial relations between Europe and Indonesia. Customers in Jakarta will have the opportunity to benefit from the airline’s extensive road feeder services from Luxembourg hub to a vast choice of European destinations.

Cargolux has actually been doing business in Jakarta for over 23 years, mostly through partnerships and interline agreements so far. The airline did operate 4 charter flights, 2 inbound and 2 outbound, to CGK in 2018 ahead of the Asian Games.