A Lufthansa Cargo MD-11F departs Chicago O’Hare in April 2011. Photo: Ed Jones – OPShots Contributor //
Lufthansa Cargo plans to phase out two of its MD-11s next year in an effort to limit capacity growth.“We don’t see at the moment how we can grow profitably using two additional freighters,” CEO Karl-Ulrich Garnadt said in an interview.The decision is bad news for the cargo industry as it signals that one of its most prominent players does not believe the sector will recover soon.The airline is taking delivery of its first Boeing 777F in October and its second in November. Lufthansa Cargo had not indicated whether it would use the aircraft for replacement or growth; now it has given its answer.The carrier currently operates 18 MD-11Fs. While it has not grounded any aircraft during the past two years of weak cargo demand, it has reduced utilization across the fleet. It is now flying the equivalent of only 16 aircraft.
