Cathay Pacific Cargo and Lufthansa Cargo have completed the expansion of their joint business agreement to cover eastbound shipments from Europe to Hong Kong.

According to the two carriers, under the framework of the agreement, customers can now benefit from direct connections between Hong Kong and Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Brussels, Dublin, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Madrid, Manchester, Milan, Munich, Paris, Rome and Zurich.

In addition to both airlines’ dedicated freighter fleets, belly space on passenger aircraft and road feeder services can also be booked by customers.

“Our cooperation with Lufthansa has reached an exciting new phase, which is of great benefit to our customers in Europe and undoubtedly strengthens one of the world’s great trade lanes,” said Ronald Lam, director of commercial and cargo at Cathay Pacific.

The commencement of Hong Kong-bound shipments means that there are now 280 direct flights covering 15 airports per week in the carriers’ joint network.

Customers have been able to book general and express cargo on all Cathay Pacific and Lufthansa flights from Hong Kong to Europe since 2017. They have also benefitted from one single location for export drop-off and import delivery since the introduction of joint handling facilities in Hong Kong in late 2016 and in Frankfurt in early 2017.

“We are pleased that our joint customers will now be able to take full advantage of our partnership,” said Peter Gerber, CEO and chairman of Lufthansa Cargo. “This is a superb basis for a long-term successful cooperation. Together, we can make air cargo even more appealing.”

Apart from network planning, Cathay Pacific Cargo and Lufthansa Cargo have been collaborating on IT and service enhancements since they signed a cooperation agreement in May 2016.