Cargolux suspends Melbourne flight

Monday, 30 November -0001

ARGOLUX is suspending one of its two weekly freighter flights into Melbourne because of declining yields and high fuel costs.

The carrier, which this weekend is celebrating nine years of operation into Australia, will — from September 20 — suspend its B747-400F Melbourne/Auckland/Hong Kong service.

“The yields are not there for us and it is costing us a lot to fly into Auckland as there is not much yield from there to Hong Kong,” said Sydney Franciscos, Cargolux manager Melbourne.

However, the carrier will retain its weekly Melbourne/Auckland/Los Angeles/Europe (Luxembourg) service.

Cargolux is the only all-freighter operator with a B747-400F nose-loader on this route. “It means we can move large cargo that other carriers can’t and it is an important market here for us,” said Franciscos. “We still need a footing in Australia and there is a big demand for us in Melbourne.”

He said the suspended service had been subsidised for some time by the airline’s other sectors and had been “digging deep” into Cargolux’s operating costs.

“Currently, all airlines have to be price conscious. They are feeling the pinch, because of the rise in fuel prices.  Freight carriers are not suffering as much as passenger airlines, but I understand many are cutting quite deeply into their operating costs.”