Zürich, 31 May - Cathay Pacific and Lufthansa Cargo announce today the entry of Swiss WorldCargo into the airlines’ joint business agreement, providing cargo customers with more direct connections, more flexibility and more time-saving. 

The entry of Swiss WorldCargo builds on the joint business agreement signed in 2016 between Cathay Pacific and Lufthansa Cargo which enables the two airlines to cooperate in terms of sales, pricing, contracts, and the handling of shipments between Hong Kong and Europe.

Cathay Pacific and Lufthansa Cargo already have a close collaboration on international lanes via their hubs in Hong Kong and Germany, while the handling of cargo in Hong Kong is coordinated under one roof at the Cathay Pacific Cargo Terminal of Hong Kong International Airport.

Under the expanded joint business agreement, Cathay Pacific, Lufthansa Cargo, and Swiss WorldCargo will work closely together on network planning, as well as on sales, IT and ground handling. Initially, the airlines will cooperate on traffic from Hong Kong to Zurich and Frankfurt, with traffic to and from Hong Kong and the rest of Europe planned to be included later this year.

Cargo customers will be able to access the entire joint network via the booking systems of all three partners.

Cathay Pacific Director Cargo Tom Owen said: “We are delighted to welcome Swiss WorldCargo into our joint business agreement. Cathay Pacific is always looking for more ways to give our cargo customers greater choice and more options for shipments whenever they fly their goods with us.

“The addition of Swiss WorldCargo’s flights to the already large combined network of Cathay Pacific and Lufthansa will further bring Hong Kong, the world’s busiest air cargo hub, closer to Europe and strengthen one of the world’s great trade lanes.”

Lufthansa Cargo CEO Dorothea von Boxberg said: “We are very pleased about the trilateral cooperation just starting, bringing three well known cargo carriers to the table and making our customers an even more attractive offer. Cargo customers will appreciate the opportunities for quicker and easier shipping. The expanded joint venture will generate numerous benefits for our customers because our networks, our hubs and our fleet complement each other effectively.”

Swiss International Air Lines Head of Cargo Lorenzo Stoll said: “We are very excited to be entering this joint business agreement between Lufthansa Cargo and Cathay Pacific Cargo, thanks to which we can not only strengthen our already close collaboration, but also expand our network offering to our customers, while staying true to our high quality and flexibility.”

The joint activities will be carried out in full compliance with all applicable laws, including the competition rules of the European Union and Hong Kong.

Zurich Airport, 13 April – Swiss WorldCargo and its partner Fischer Road Cargo share a longstanding partnership and joint history, which dates back to the existence of SWISS, both being strongly committed to continue their good collaboration for the years to come.

Fischer Road Cargo started to transport luggage for SWISS, marking this way the first collaboration and continued with the creation of a dedicated air cargo trucking service, serving as an expansion of the network. To this day Fischer Road Cargo connects the major airports in Europe on a daily schedule with Full Truck Load (FTL) and Less Truck Load (LTL).

Fischer Road Cargo shares the same values as Swiss WorldCargo when it comes to providing premium logistic services to their customers and offering top-quality road transportations across Europe. Since its foundation in 1946 it has become a strong transport partner in road feeder service and transports for industries such as pharmaceutical and life science, AOG, perishables and many more. Fischer Road Cargo views its clients as partners and therefore always strives to establish a lasting, reliable relationship with them, based on solid improvement and new optimisation opportunities. The same applies to Swiss WorldCargo, a division, which has continuously invested in the optimization and improvement of its offerings and services to meet the customer’s needs and to provide premium customer service, a standard that can only be met by joining forces with good partners.

“We highly appreciate the longstanding collaboration with our Partner Fischer Road Cargo and their continuous efforts for keeping the highest transportation standards and certifications also in the field of pharma transportation, which underlines both our efforts in maintaining highest quality and jointly enhancing our current offerings”, says Lorenzo Stoll Head of Cargo for Swiss International Air Lines.

“It’s a true honor to have such a long-term partnership with Swiss WorldCargo. Trust, know-how, precision like a swiss clock, and service beyond the normal unites the attributes of both companies and make this partnership so unique and successful. We are delighted to further extend our collaboration,” says Peter Hauser Managing Director of Fischer Road Cargo.

Swiss WorldCargo
Swiss WorldCargo is the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). Headquartered at Zurich Airport, Swiss WorldCargo offers a comprehensive range of logistics solutions for transporting high-value and care-intensive consignments to some 130 destinations in over 80 countries. Its extensive network of airfreight services is supplemented by daily truck connections between key business centers. As a reliable and innovative service provider within the Lufthansa Group, Swiss WorldCargo is consistently committed to delivering Swiss quality to its airfreight customers and makes a substantial contribution to SWISS’s overall profitability.

Zurich Airport, 17 March – Swiss WorldCargo’s ground handling partner Cargologic just obtained the re-certification as a “Center of Excellence for Independent Validators” (CEIV) from IATA for the handling of pharmaceutical products at Zurich Airport. In addition to Swiss WorldCargo becoming fully CEIV re-certified last year, the accreditation further assures cool chain integrity to customers throughout the Swiss WorldCargo global network.

In 2016, Swiss WorldCargo’s Zurich hub first became CEIV certified and recognised as GDP compliant by Swiss authorities Swissmedic. In 2018, IATA authorities evaluated Swiss WorldCargo’s pharmaceutical handling and processes before announcing that the Swiss WorldCargo organisation had met all necessary requirements for a full CEIV certification and in 2021 Swiss WorldCargo was successfully re-certified. With this milestone, Swiss WorldCargo is part of a small, selected group of airlines keeping a full CEIV certification.

“We highly appreciate Cargologic's efforts for being CEIV recertified again, which underlines our both efforts in maintaining highest standards and jointly enhancing our already state of the art hub in Zurich, the center of Europe. The CEIV certification of Cargologic strengthens the whole Swiss WorldCargo offering for temperature-controlled pharma as it provides end to end quality”, says Lorenzo Stoll Head of Cargo for Swiss International Air Lines.

“As market leader in the Swiss airfreight handling business, we invest heavily to ensure that the airfreighted goods on the ground enjoy Swiss quality. The processes between aircraft loading and preparation for dispatch, storage and clearance are very complex. Security, reliability and experience are true competitive advantages. In this growth market, Swiss quality is in high demand. So I’m especially delighted that we have received CEIV certification again”, says Marco Gredig, Managing Director of Cargologic AG.

The temperature-controlled handling of pharmaceutical products continues to be increasingly challenging owing to global regulatory conditions. The Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics (CEIV Pharma) created by IATA supports the air transport industry in complying with pharmaceutical manufacturers’ requirements.

The industry identifies the need to build a network of certified pharmaceutical trade lanes that meet consistent standards and assure product integrity. With the pharmaceutical sector being one of the key driving forces of the Swiss economy, the volumes of pharmaceutical and biotech shipments being transported via Zurich Airport – transfer shipments in particular – is ever increasing.

Swiss WorldCargo Zurich’s ground handling partner Cargologic is continuously investing in the development of a leading-edge technical and operating expertise to better serve the needs of the Swiss pharmaceutical industry and has recently received their CEIV re-certification for the third time.

Swiss WorldCargo
Swiss WorldCargo is the airfreight division of Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS). Headquartered at Zurich Airport, Swiss WorldCargo offers a comprehensive range of logistics solutions for transporting high-value and care-intensive consignments to some 130 destinations in over 80 countries. Its extensive network of airfreight services is supplemented by daily truck connections between key business centers. As a reliable and innovative service provider within the Lufthansa Group, Swiss WorldCargo is consistently committed to delivering Swiss quality to its airfreight customers and makes a substantial contribution to SWISS’s overall profitability.