Luxair has chosen not to pursue the managerial role of the cargo centre that they have historically overseen, sparking concerns among its employees and paving the way for potential new operators in the upcoming public tender.
The Luxair board of administration announced at the end of May that the airline will not reapply for the managerial role of the cargo centre. The next public tender offer is for seven years and Luxair's decision has created uncertainty among affected personnel.
Historically, Luxair has been in charge of overseeing the cargo centre. The airline brought the first such institution to life in 1976. At the time, 75% of goods were transported by Cargolux and the business kept growing over the years. Infrastructure had to be expanded in the 1990s as the threshold of 180,000 tonnes of cargo was being exceeded.
The corner stone for the current cargo centre, which played a crucial role during the pandemic, was placed in 1994 and also had to be expanded since then.
Although 2021 saw a record of 1,088,442 tonnes of goods being funnelled through the centre, the facility fell from fifth to eighth position in the European ranking.
Luxair's decision to turn its back on cargo handling is said to be of strategic nature as officials intend to fully focus on the airline in the future. Furthermore, the next operator is expected to invest at least €200 million, funds that Luxair lacks.
According to RTL sources, Cargolux and two other companies have launched a bid for the new tender offer. A decision is expected to be taken in autumn, a process that is closely monitored on an EU level. Both CFL Multimodal and Walleborn Transports have meanwhile denied rumours that they are directly or indirectly involved.
Unions for their part have made it clear that they want security for the 1,200 affected jobs and that staff retain their rights and advantages from the current collective agreement.
