Works Council Chairman Willi Rörig: “No night flights is a threat to the Company’s existence“   

The Prime Minister of Hesse Roland Koch has received 4,000 signatures expressing support for the retention of night flights at Frankfurt Airport. “Those 4,000 signatures represent thousands of jobs in the Rhine-Main region,” emphasised Lufthansa Cargo Works Council Chairman Willi Rörig. He organised the petition which was signed by staff from Lufthansa Cargo and other logistics services companies.

The campaign is designed to draw attention to the effect of an outright ban on night flights at Frankfurt Airport. “Frankfurt is the world’s seventh biggest cargo airport – halting the night-time flow of airfreight not only jeopardises Germany’s position as a leading exporting nation, it also endangers the existence of Lufthansa Cargo, one of the world’s biggest cargo carriers”, said  Rörig.

The members of the Works Council of ground staff in Germany and the staff council representing Lufthansa Cargo flight crews urged State Premier Koch to lodge an appeal against the ruling reached on night flight operations by the administrative court in Kassel.  He could in that way prevent a ban on night flights at Frankfurt Airport, they said.  

“We have the greatest understanding for the concerns of the employees - but we must, simultaneously, take note of the interests of nearby residents,” said Koch when the petition was handed over. “Lufthansa Cargo is an engine of the world economy, whose activities have a considerable impact on employment throughout Germany and especially in the Rhine-Main region.  We appreciate the importance of the Company.”  

The State Premier and the employee representatives underlined the importance of Frankfurt Airport as one of the world’s major airfreight hubs. “A ban on night flights would not only weaken the Rhine-Main base, but also Germany’s position generally as an export motor,” said Works Council Chairman Willi Rörig. “There is a risk that many production and logistics companies would transfer their activities elsewhere in Europe in the event of a ban.“

In view of the present uncertain legal situation, Lufthansa Cargo has deferred capital expenditure on a new logistics centre at Frankfurt Airport. Should a practicable night-flight ruling for the Company be reached, it would invest into the three-digit millions to replace the old airfreight centre CargoCity North, which is meantime 27 years old, said the Works Council Chairman.

Lufthansa Cargo AG
Lufthansa Cargo ranks among the world’s leading cargo carriers. In the 2008 financial year, the airline transported around 1.7 million tonnes of freight and mail and clocked up 8.3 billion revenue tonne-kilometres. The Company currently employs about 4,600 people, worldwide. Lufthansa Cargo focuses on the airport-to-airport business. The cargo carrier serves some 300 destinations in 90 countries with its own fleet of freighters, the belly capacities of Lufthansa’s passenger aircraft and an extensive road services network.  Lufthansa Cargo is a wholly-owned Lufthansa subsidiary. In the 2008 financial year, it posted revenues totalling 2.9 billion euros. 


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Nils Haupt                                                                            
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Fax: +49 69 696 9891123                                                                                       nils.haupt@dlh.de                                         
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