Hinduja Cargo Services
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| Founded | April 1996 | ||||||
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| Ceased operations | August 2000 | ||||||
| Hubs | Indira Gandhi International Airport | ||||||
| Fleet size | 3 | ||||||
| Parent company | Hinduja Group (60%) Lufthansa Cargo (40%) | ||||||
| Headquarters | New Delhi, India | ||||||
Hinduja Cargo Services (legally Lufthansa Cargo India PVT. Limited) was a cargo airline based in New Delhi, India. It was a joint venture between the Hinduja Group and German airline Lufthansa Cargo. The company operated a fleet of Boeing 727 freighters, flying from airports in the Indian subcontinent to feed Lufthansa Cargo's hub in the Middle East.
History
Before 1996, Lufthansa Cargo was operating Douglas DC-8 aircraft between Germany and several Indian cities, including Delhi and Mumbai, as well as a cargo hub at Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. To increase capacity, Hinduja Cargo Services was formed in April 1996 through a partnership with the Hinduja Group; Hinduja owned a 60% share, with Lufthansa taking the remaining 40%. Two Boeing 727-200F freighters were acquired to replace the DC-8 routes, rising to five aircraft in October 1996.
Lufthansa Cargo suspended its agreement with the Hinduja Group in April 2000, citing higher-than-expected demand which could be better met with direct flights from Frankfurt. The airline was consequently closed by Hinduja in 2001.
Accident
- On 7 July 1999, a Boeing 727-243F operating as Lufthansa Cargo Flight 8533 crashed into a hill after takeoff from Kathmandu, Nepal. All five crew died in the crash.