Luxembourg-based Cargolux has entered a code-share and space swap agreement with Nippon Cargo Airlines (NCA), granting Cargolux access to NCA flights from Frankfurt-Hahn Airport (HHN) to Tokyo’s Narita Airport (NRT), while NCA gains access to Cargolux flights from Luxembourg Airport (LUX) to NRT.
Under the agreement, next year Cargolux will begin operating a weekly service from LUX to NRT, while Cargolux Italia – Cargolux’s joint-venture airline with Italian investors – will cease flights to NRT but maintain operations to Kansai Airport (KIX) in Osaka. Cargolux also plans to expand its operations through Komatsu Airport (KMQ) as it develops its services to and from Japan.
The code-sharing agreement will begin during the summer of 2018, and is only the first step towards potential increases in cooperation ahead, according to the airlines. Cargolux has been drastically expanding partnerships recently to set the stage for increased operating range beyond its own fleet and routes, most notably through its agreement with Emirates SkyCargo, entered in May 2017.