Neu-Isenburg (near Frankfurt, Germany) / Chicago (USA), May 3, 2004 – Effective immediately, time:matters GmbH, a subsidiary of Lufthansa Cargo AG and provider of national and international express delivery services for extremely time-critical shipments, and United Airlines Cargo, the freight division of the U.S.-based United Airlines, will be working together in the European-American express logistics market. The first concrete outcome of the new partnership is that the same:day express courier service offered by time:matters is now also available for transatlantic routes, and hence outside of Europe for the first time. The U.S. service of same:day is being launched immediately and makes possible the intercontinental door-to-door delivery of highly urgent small shipments (for example packages, documents, and spare parts for equipment and machinery). The expanded service means that time:matters is entering the U.S. logistics market on a large scale for the first time and simultaneously expanding its same:day delivery network, which in the past covered about 40 destinations in twelve European countries, by about 100 percent.
For the launch of same:day’s new transatlantic service, direct and indirect delivery connections to 39 U.S. destinations are already available. Direct flights go from Frankfurt and Munich
to the country’s major business centers: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Portland, San Francisco, and
Washington D.C. Another 25 destinations are reached via connecting flights from Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. As an example, four flights are available daily for
transatlantic same:day shipments between Frankfurt and Chicago.
From May 3, 2004 TNT Express offers latest acceptance times for next-day-shipments to the U.S. throughout Germany, based on the extended network of time:matters: Pick-up options
until 7pm and until 10pm are offered throughout Germany. Even when documents and materials go out as late as 1:00 am, on request TNT Express can deliver them to North America on the following day.
“United Airlines Cargo and Lufthansa Cargo are joining forces in order to close a gap in the rapidly growing international express delivery market. Together we are now in a position to
offer an intercontinental same-day service to customers in need of express deliveries. This kind of service has never before been available in the international logistics market,” explains Roger Gibson, Vice President of United Airlines Cargo. “We’re very pleased to be able to offer reliable and efficient products and services together with the Lufthansa Cargo subsidiary
time:matters. These products and services represent true added value to our customers. The new premium service puts us in a position to take advantage of the tremendous market
opportunities arising from the needs of customers who value rapid, efficient, and reliable air delivery services.” time:matters managing director Franz-Joseph Miller adds: “We’re proud to
be able to introduce a significant expansion of our service portfolio that is trendsetting for the future of high-quality, high-volume premium logistics services. The shared strength of the two partners guarantees that our customers can use the fastest and most reliable solutions for express shipments between Europe and the United States.”
