In contrast to passenger airlines such as Luxair, Cargolux is coping well with the pandemic. Minister Bausch explained that their planes were not only used to handle key logistical aspects in the fight against Covid-19, but that they also supported Luxembourg's neighbouring countries: "Cargolux has been of great help so far in getting the vaccine doses to the country, which shows again how important it is to have reliable partners in the field of logistics and air travel."
Minister Bausch stressed his satisfaction over the success of the cargo airline in 2020, especially given that the company was in less safer waters when he first took office seven years ago. He elaborated: "Today, Grand Duke Henri is here to thank Cargolux for their efforts during the pandemic. From the very start when Luxembourg was short on essential supplies, the airline stepped up and helped us get on top of things."
Since the cargo airline is coping well at the moment, Cargolux is now able to prepare ahead for the future. Nevertheless, the current success is not enough to also help out troubled shareholder Luxair.
Minister Bausch expressed his hopes that with the progression of the vaccination campaign, as well as the approaching summer, Luxair may be able to resume operations in the foreseeable future. However, he acknowledged that it will most likely take two to three years until the airline is running at pre-pandemic capacity again. Although the airline receives substantial government support, it may very well be that they lose parts of their business clientele for good.
