Lufthansa Cargo to replace MD11F
 

Rumored that they are not happy with the aircraft and new types are being evaluated.

Oh?

Well it took them an awful long time to figure that one out then. They always sang its praises... :confused:

It keeps them out of the heavy cargo market, which suits us just fine though! :}

Md-11f
 

Any idea why they are not liking the acft now? Are they carrying much more and going further therefore find no use for this medium range baby?:confused:

curious....As I thought the MD-11 was one of the best cargo babies around. Always have wanted to fly one.

COuld be reliability issues, or maybe they are losing a contract that they use them on.

I've always looked at it this way.

LH decided a long time ago that flying small boxes at premium prices was the way to go. So the MD11 made sense.

We at CLX think somewhat differently. Bring the 25T ship's engine, we'll do it. We're not cheap but we can do it. LH can't. (Thats why they have an Atlas -400F flying for them to carry real freight from time to time).

Maybe LH have finally seen the light. The majority of the heavyweight cargo in our general region comes from the Ruhr in Germany (DUS area). Their national carrier can't fly it.

I heard on the grapevine that AF dont take anything heavier than 20T anymore. Anyone confirm or is that b/s?

Since we're on the subject of equipment.... anyone notice that no freight carriers have ordered the A380F? (UPS/FEDEX dont count).

Speak for yerself!

ok ok, via Avalon on the odd occasion :}

Oh - BTW - some news.. MEL has a 27T highloader, shock horror.

CR2 wrote: "Since we're on the subject of equipment.... anyone notice that no freight carriers have ordered the A380F?


With all due respect, reviewing the Airbus "Orders and Deliveries" sheet at Airbus, and excluding FedEx and UPS, International Lease and Finance Company (even though they are not themselves a freight carrier) ordered 5 of the A380F variants, and although it is not clear where they will ultimately be placed, I would lean towards someone other than Memphis or Louisville.

Looking back, in my limited experience, a number of different models of aircraft from McDonnell Douglas, Airbus, Boeing, and others, it seems to me that the passenger version was in service for varying periods of time before a freighter version came into fruition. Perhaps that is the case once again. I expect that there is certainly is a need for such an aircraft, and perhaps those who make those decisions will do so, at a time that is prudent for their operation.

If you build it, they will come.

Here's the .url for the sheet, but you may need to tunnel your way into it if it doesn't work. Didn't for me until I posted it here.


http://www.airbus.com/odxml/orders_and_deliveries.xls


11Fan

Edit comment. had to fix the link.

A380 is no good for heavy or awkward cargo. It will never be a noseloader either. This is where the 747F sings its own. A380F, fine for integrator or courier containerised volumetric loads..hence the FDX & UPS orders.

Yes...but no one knows how to drive it!:rolleyes:

... how about the replacements coming from an upstart... called "Jade Cargo" ???? :O

cargoflyer.. I never thought of that. Any idea when they're starting? Or have they already done so?

I suspect not
 

Lufthansa Cargo purchased some of the most recent MD-11's, right off of the production line. Following that, they purchased five more MD-11's through Boeing's Passenger to Freighter Modification Program.

A pretty hefty investment if they were planning on dumping them.

As CR2 stated, apparently Lufthansa Cargo uses Atlas for their "outsize cargo" even though the all-cargo MD-11F provides the capacity for 202,100-pound (91,670 kilograms) gross payloads. Add to that, Lufthansa Cargo retired their 747-Classic Fleet in favor of the MD-11 as it met their operational requirements. (MD-11 specifications from boeing.com)

Jade on the other hand just purchased six new 747-400ER Freighters from Boeing. Jade Cargo International is co-owned by Shenzhen Airlines, Lufthansa Cargo and Dutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft.

My understanding is that Lufthansa Cargo is satisfied with the MD-11, both performance and capacity.

More about Jade, as well as Lufthansa Cargo is at the Lufthansa Cargo website:

http://www.lufthansa-cargo.com/US/content.jsp?path=0,19061,45236,45237,54320

Rumor being the operative word here, newscaster, how solid is your source?

Regards,

11Fan

Jade operated their first scheduled flight into Schiphol on Saturday 5th August (and their second on Monday).

A380Fs are probably not going to be first choice for other cargo carriers for some time as they don't offer anywhere near the same options as smaller beasts or the 747F. They require some specialised equipment to bring cargo from the top deck, and has already been said they can't noseload or take outsized cargo. Also, they will be limited in the number of airports they can operate in to until more upgrade their facilities to be A380 compliant. They're great for the package operators who can put them all in ULDs and pack it to the hilt, but airline operators will probably favour the 747-8F.

I wouldn´t be surprised seeing B772Fs in LH-Cargo colours towards the end of the decade...
Although the reliability of the MD-11F has gone up over the last years, they are still apparently unhappy with this three-holer. And one can only guess about the support from Boeing for this type of aeroplane...

Cheers,
J. V.

11fan,
yes, enlighten us, please... ;)

J.V.