CargoLogic Germany obtains operating license
02 / 09 / 2019
CargoLogic Germany B737-400F
The German Federal Ministry of Transport has, subject to conditions, issued a European operating license to cargo carrier CargoLogic Germany (CLG), German logistics news site DVZ has reported.
The German Federal Aviation Authority (LBA) now needs to confirm the license before the airline can start operations.
CLG will initially run two Boeing 737F aircraft and employ 35 people. Over the next few years, CLG will increase its aircraft fleet to ten and its crew members to 80.
The airline first applied to the LBA for an operating license in November 2017.
Some people in the German air cargo industry had questioned whether the airline would be granted a license given it is a partner airline of Russia’s Volga-Dnepr Group, which also owns AirBridgeCargo.
Speaking at a press event earlier this year, Lufthansa Cargo chief executive and executive board chairman Peter Gerber questioned who controlled the airline.
He said that in order to gain an AOC in Europe, the airline needs to be European owned and also European controlled.
“I believe, for the moment, it is difficult to get an AOC because you need to be European and it needs to be European controlled and this is what European laws say.
“If it is a [Russia-based] AirBridgeCargo (ABC) subsidiary, then that in itself contradicts the laws – if it is controlled by ABC they can’t get an AOC.
“I’m pretty sure that the German authorities will look at this very thoroughly and do the right thing.”
However, in September last year, Ulrich Ogiermann, who at the time was VDG’s senior vice president for operations and deputy general director for the company’s CargoLogicManagement (CLM) affiliate and now heads up CLG, said that in order to obtain a European operating license, CLG will follow the business model of VDG’s first partner airline: the UK-registered CargoLogicAir (CLA).
“As in the UK, the German carrier has to be a completely independent airline standing on its own feet, with its own business model and people,” Ogiermann said.
“There is nobody in London or in Moscow telling them what needs to be done. That is a very clear requirement of any airline in any country: a clear ownership structure and ownership rules.”
