Capacity, carrying freight and competition are just three of the challenges Cargolux has overcome during its first half-century in business, as Barry Lloyd reveals
Cargolux is now one of Europe’s largest all-freight scheduled airlines, with more than 2,220 staff based across 50 countries and a fleet of 30 Boeing 747s. This remarkable accomplishment grew from humble beginnings with one aeroplane, a handful of enthusiastic employees, a single office in downtown Luxembourg and an ad hoc charter picking up iceberg lettuce and strawberries from New York. The airline was established on March 4, 1970, with a late-night ‘handshake’ between Luxembourg’s national flag carrier Luxair, the Salen Shipping Group, Icelandic carrier Loftleiðir and various other Luxembourgish private investors.
