The German airline German Airways is getting back into the cargo business and this time is using the turboprop ATR72-600F. According to CH-Aviation.com, the carrier has ordered a total of five machines of this type from the manufacturer ATR.

After delivery, the cargo planes are to be stationed at Cologne/Bonn and Rostock-Laage airports. The latter airport is owned by the parent company Zeitfracht recently taken over and wants to develop it into a cargo hub. The administration of German Airways will also move to the group's own airport.

Zeitfracht Managing Director Wolfram Simon-Schröter did not want to comment further on the ATR72-600F order to CH-Aviation.com. The official statement from the group of companies is “no comment”. Manufacturer ATR did not want to make any statement either.

In the past, German Airways was active in the cargo business under the former company name WDL. They withdrew from this segment and concentrated on the provision of ACMI and charter services in the passenger area. After the takeover by Zeitfracht there was a brief comeback with BAe 146 freighters. However, these quickly left the fleet again. However, no one made a secret of the fact that they wanted to build up another mainstay with cargo flights. It is not a question of "if" but of "when".