Flying Ocean Freighters: An (un)attractive business model?

Maritime and air logistics are two different animals, with own processes and requirements, states Lufthansa Cargo CEO, Dorothea von Boxberg (DvB). Currently, it may well be attractive to Maersk, CMA/CGM, and others to lease freighters to overcome capacity constraints and offer their customers timely delivery of goods, she reasons. Yet, come market normalization, it will be a completely new ballgame for shipping lines, the executive forecasts in this exclusive interview.  LH Cargo CEO Dorothea von Boxberg is skeptical that shipping companies will have long-term success operating cargo aircraft – CFG: Are shipping lines operating freighters seen as new and serious competitors for classic cargo airlines such as Lufthansa Cargo?  DvB: That’s very questionable. Personally, I see little synergies between the two business segments of sea and air. The proponents probably underestimate what it takes to operate an airline profitably over a longer cycle. It requires a minimum fleet size and high commercial and operational competence to be financially successful. To me, it appears that shipping companies are chartering freighters in response to, and for the duration of, the current capacity squeeze.

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