Cargolux
Encyclopedia
Cargo airline
Cargo airlines are airlines dedicated to the transport of cargo. Some cargo airlines are divisions or subsidiaries of larger passenger airlines.-Logistics:...
with its head office on the grounds of Luxembourg – Findel Airport in Sandweiler
Sandweiler
Sandweiler is a commune and town in southern Luxembourg. It is located east of Luxembourg City., the town of Sandweiler, which lies in the south-west of the commune, has a population of 2,474...
, Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
. It is one of the largest scheduled all-cargo airlines in Europe with a global network. Charter flights and third party maintenance are also operated.
History
The airline was established in March 1970 by LuxairLuxair
Luxair S.A., Société Luxembourgeoise de Navigation Aérienne, operating as Luxair, is the flag carrier airline of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It operates scheduled services to 50 destinations in Europe, North Africa, the Mediterranean and Middle East, plus charter and seasonal summer services....
, the Salen Shipping Group, Loftleiðir
Loftleiðir
Loftleiðir HF, internationally known as Icelandic Airlines or Loftleiðir Icelandic, was a private Icelandic airline headquartered on the grounds of Reykjavík Airport in Reykjavík, which operated mostly trans-atlantic flights linking Europe and America, pioneering the low-cost flight business...
and various private interests in Luxembourg. It started operations in May 1970 with one Canadair CL-44
Canadair CL-44
The Canadair CL-44 was a Canadian turboprop airliner and cargo aircraft based on the Bristol Britannia that was developed and produced by Canadair in the late 1950s and early 1960s...
freighter with services from Luxembourg to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
. Over the next two years, the airline grew, as did its public visibility.
By 1973, Cargolux had five CL-44s and made the leap into the jet age by acquiring a Douglas DC-8
Douglas DC-8
The Douglas DC-8 is a four-engined narrow-body passenger commercial jet airliner, manufactured from 1958 to 1972 by the Douglas Aircraft Company...
. This enabled the company to speed up its cargo deliveries. In 1974, Loftleiðir and Cargolux amalgamated their maintenance and engineering departments, and by 1975, Cargolux enjoyed the new facilities of new central offices and two hangar
Hangar
A hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft or spacecraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but other materials such as wood and concrete are also sometimes used...
s.
In 1978, the airline began to take shape into the company it is today. The CL-44s began to be retired and the airline ordered its first Boeing 747
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
s. In that same year it also began flying to other places in Asia, as well as to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In 1979, as the company concluded its first decade, its first Boeing 747s were delivered.
In 1982, China Airlines
China Airlines
China Airlines is both the flag carrier and the largest airline of Republic of China . Although not directly state-owned, the airline is owned by China Airlines Group, which is owned by the China Aviation Development Foundation...
became the first airline company to sign a strategic alliance with Cargolux. 1983 saw the introduction of CHAMP (Cargo Handling And Management Planning) and the start of some charter passenger flights for the Hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
pilgrimage.
1984 saw the departure of the last Douglas DC-8 in the fleet and the addition of a third Boeing 747. Lufthansa
Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating...
bought a 24.5% share of the airline in 1987 and Luxair increased its share to 24.53%.
1988 saw the birth of Lion Air, a passenger charter airline established by both Cargolux and Luxair. The airline had two Boeing 747s but Cargolux's venture into the charter airline world proved unsuccessful and soon Lion Air folded.
Despite that setback, Cargolux made it into the 1990s in proper financial shape. It added two more Boeing 747s in 1990, as a way of celebrating its 20th anniversary, and in 1993, three Boeing 747-400Fs
Boeing 747-400
The Boeing 747-400 is a major development and the best-selling model of the Boeing 747 family of jet airliners. While retaining the four-engine wide-body layout of its predecessors, the 747-400 embodies numerous technological and structural changes to produce a more efficient airframe...
arrived at Luxembourg. 1995 saw Cargolux have a year-long celebration because of its 25th anniversary and Heiner Wilkens was named CEO and President.
In 1997, Luxair was able to increase its share to 34%, while in September 1997 Lufthansa sold its 24.5% to Sair Logistics and Swiss Cargo made a cooperation agreement with the Luxembourg company. 1998 saw Sair Logistics increase its share to 33%.
By 1999, Cargolux's fleet had reached double figures, with 10 Boeing 747s. In 2000 a route was opened to Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, and in 2001 Wilkens decided to step down as President and CEO of the air company.
In October 2010, the chief executive of Cargolux was indicted on suspicion of price-fixing; In November 2010, Cargolux was fined, for price-fixing, by the European Commission.
On 8 September 2011, Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways Company Q.C.S.C. , operating as Qatar Airways, is the flag carrier of Qatar. Headquartered in the Qatar Airways Tower in Doha, it operates a hub-and-spoke network, linking over 100 international destinations from its base in Doha, using a fleet of over 100 aircraft...
purchased a 35% share in the company making it the second largest shareholder after Luxair
Luxair
Luxair S.A., Société Luxembourgeoise de Navigation Aérienne, operating as Luxair, is the flag carrier airline of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It operates scheduled services to 50 destinations in Europe, North Africa, the Mediterranean and Middle East, plus charter and seasonal summer services....
(43.4%). The other shareholders are the Banque et Caisse d'Epargne de l'Etat
Banque et Caisse d'Épargne de l'État
In Luxemburgish Spuerkeess, in French Banque et Caisse d'Épargne de l'État , is a Luxembourgish bank, established and owned by the Luxembourgish government...
(10.9%) and the Société Nationale de Crédit et d'Investissement
Société Nationale de Crédit et d'Investissement
Société Nationale de Crédit et d'Investissement or SNCI is a public-law banking institution in Luxembourg City designed to encourage business investments, start-ups and research initiatives...
(10.7%).
Incidents and accidents
- On January 21, 2010, Flight 7933Cargolux Flight 7933Cargolux Flight 7933 was a cargo flight which was involved in an accident on 21 January 2010 in which it landed on a vehicle that was on an active runway. The vehicle suffered major damage while the aircraft had damage to a tyre. Three investigations were launched into the incident.-Aircraft...
, operated by Boeing 747-400F LX-OCV struck a vehicle on landing at Luxembourg-Findel International Airport. The van suffered major damage and the aircraft sustained a damaged tire. Three investigations have been launched into the incident.