August 28, 2017: Cargolux Airlines is launching operations to two new destinations in Africa, Douala in Cameroon and Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Services to Lubumbashi will begin on September 15 while Douala is served as of October 3.

Lubumbashi is the DRC’s second largest city after the capital Kinshasa and acts as a hub for the country’s mining industry. The city is an important commercial and industrial centre and produces textiles, food and beverages and copper smelting, as well as giving a home to one of the country’s largest banks. It is estimated that Lubumbashi produces over 3 percent of the world’s copper and half of its cobalt.

Douala is Cameroon’s largest city and home to Central Africa’s biggest port. It is the country’s economic and commercial capital, handling most of its exports that include oil, cocoa, coffee, fruits, metal and timber. European countries are the major export and import partners for Cameroon, followed by Asia.

“Africa has always been and will always be a major market for Cargolux, and we are happy to be able to support the continent’s trade lanes to Europe, the United States and Asia as well as across the Cargolux network worldwide,” says Jonathan Clark, regional director Africa, Cargolux.

Cargolux sees the promising potential for growth in the region. With its own road feeder services, the company is also able to offer fast and efficient connections to Yaoundé, Cameroon’s capital and second-largest city. Import commodities for Cargolux include hi-tech goods, agricultural products and machinery, while export shipments are mainly perishables; fruit and vegetables for European consumers.

Douala and Lubumbashi are added to Cargolux’s existing 33 destinations on the African continent.

The carrier delivers a range of diverse shipments, from perishables, fruit and flowers to heavy machinery for the oil and gas industry on the Continent.

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