Cargo alliance announces new joint product and new brand name

Joint press information by Lufthansa Cargo, SAS Cargo and Singapore Airlines Cargo Cargo alliance announces new joint product and new brand name Frankfurt / Copenhagen / Singapore, March 14 2002 - Lufthansa Cargo, SAS Cargo and Singapore Airlines Cargo announce that from April 1 they will offer a joint general cargo service through their WOW alliance. WOW, the new brand name for the "New Global Cargo" alliance, will be launched in the international trade media in a campaign also starting in April. Dr. Andreas Otto, Member of the Executive Board at Lufthansa Cargo, said the new brand name would give customers a clear understanding of the alliance's goals: "With WOW, we have found a name that sets new accents in the industry. Not only is WOW innovative, dynamic and original, it also serves as a mission statement. 'WOW!' is exactly the reaction we aim to elicit from our customers in response to our services." From April 1, the alliance carriers' general cargo products - "td.Pro" from Lufthansa Cargo and "General Cargo" from Singapore Airlines Cargo and SAS Cargo - can be booked at the reservation center of any of the three carriers to destinations in the combined network. The general cargo service will be built on product and service standards under the motto "Seamless, Safety and Control", and will offer a time-definite guarantee for transport and delivery. The general cargo product names used by each carrier will be retained, as was the case when the partners launched their joint express product on October 1, 2001. That enabled customers to book the premium express services - "td.Flash" from Lufthansa Cargo, "SAS Priority" from SAS Cargo and "Swiftrider" from Singapore Airlines Cargo - to any point in the alliance's worldwide express network. The harmonized express service is backed by connected IT infrastructure as well as common standards and handling processes to ensure consistency and reliability. "We have every reason to believe our joint general cargo service will be just as well received as was the joint premium express service last year," said President of Singapore Airlines Cargo, Mr. Hwang Teng Aun. "Our strategy of coordinating product guarantees, handling, IT and sales structures bears this out." The growing portfolio of joint products enhances the alliance's commitment to its aim of "Three Products - One Promise". Peter Grønlund, President and CEO of the SAS Cargo Group, said the synergies that the partners have achieved are crucial to the alliance's success: "We're proud of advancing a stage nearer to our aim of a harmonized portfolio with the launch of our general cargo service. Preparations for harmonizing even more of our products are already underway. This approach will enable us to meet our customers' increasing need for flexibility and global services." The three cargo carriers laid the foundation for their alliance by signing an accord to cooperate in airfreight at Kronberg, near Frankfurt, on April 26 2000. Lufthansa Cargo is the world's biggest, and Singapore Airlines Cargo the world's third biggest airfreight airline. SAS Cargo is a dominant player, especially to and from Scandinavia. In 2000, the three carriers earned a total of more than US$ 3.7 billion from cargo, transporting 14.7 billion freight-tonne-kilometers. They offer customers access to all major markets in Asia, South West Pacific, North America and Europe, serving 493 destinations in 103 countries on five continents. The alliance commands a fleet of more than 630 aircraft, many of them widebodied jets. Between them, the alliance carriers employ more than 7,000 people. For further information: Lufthansa Cargo AG, Corporate Communications, Dietrich Seidl, Tel.: +49 69 696 6472, Fax +49 69 696 90919, www.lufthansa-cargo.com SAS Cargo Group A/S, Corporate Communications, Marianne Aarseth, Tel.: +45 3232 2448, Fax +45 3232 4979, www.sascargo.com Singapore Airlines Cargo, Public Affairs Department, Geoff Breusch, Tel.: +65 541 4035, Fax: +65 545 6083, www.siacargo.com ------------------------------------------------------------ Besøg http://www.waymaker.dk for mere information Følgende filer kan downloades: http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2003/10/10/20031010BIT00630/wkr0001.doc http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2003/10/10/20031010BIT00630/wkr0002.pdf