Podcast Luftraum: How Lufthansa operates converted Airbus A321 freighters

“In the first phase, when it was said that we needed people to transport goods by air, there was initially a lot of hesitation,” says Holger Heinemann. He is Program Manager for the Cargo Business at Lufthansa Cityline, which currently operates three converted Airbus A321 freighters for Lufthansa Cargo. “What was a big drawback was the proportion of night flights,” Heinemann explains.

Initially, there was a “relatively small force of Airbus aircraft” that only transported cargo. They learned about the advantages of cargo flights, such as longer routes, new destinations and quiet work – and word spread among the Airbus cockpit crew on Lufthansa Cityline. “Now, everyone who flies an Airbus on the passenger side also flies cargo,” says Heinemann. Pilots will request their desired cargo flights using converted A321 freighters via a menu.

Advantages of the Boeing 737 Convertible Freighters

A fourth Airbus A321 is currently being converted from a passenger aircraft to a cargo aircraft on behalf of Lufthansa in the USA. In the new episode of our Luftraum podcast, Heinemann explains why he actually wants ten aircraft, what the advantages are compared to Boeing 737 convertible freighters, and why the mid-range aircraft fit so well into Lufthansa’s entire freighter network.

Hear it all here:

In the photo gallery above, you can see one of the Airbus A321 freighters from the outside and inside. Clicking on the image opens the gallery in large format.