All Nippon Airways, Japan’s largest airline, and Lufthansa Cargo are to launch a strategic air cargo joint venture on routes between Japan and Europe after getting anti-trust immunity for the plan.
The two airlines can jointly manage activities including network planning, pricing, sales and handling on all routes between Japan and Europe and vice versa.
Based on a joint contract which shall be signed in the next weeks, the two carriers aim to introduce the joint approach on shipments originating from Japan to Europe in winter 2014/2015 and for shipments from Europe to Japan mid-2015.
The airlines said customers would benefit from a greater selection of routeings and a wider range of service options. There would be more direct flights, more destinations and more frequencies.
ANA has received approval for the joint venture from the Japanese Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport, and the joint venture has been positively assessed by external counsel for compliance with relevant EU antitrust regulations.
