Press release -
Together for the earthquake victims: SunExpress, DPD, FIEGE, time:matters and Lufthansa Cargo launch air bridge between Germany and Türkiye
- Airlift to transport more than 1,000 tons of relief supplies to the crisis region in the coming weeks
- Aid packages from private donors can be dropped off in all DPD parcel stores across Germany
Using synergies and providing unbureaucratic help together: That is the goal of the relief alliance of leading transport and logistics partners SunExpress, DPD, FIEGE, time:matters, CB Customs Broker GmbH and Lufthansa Cargo. SunExpress, the joint venture between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines, had brought the companies together to maintain an air bridge from Germany to the crisis region in the coming weeks. More than 1,000 tons of relief supplies are to be transported to the crisis region as part of the "Wir helfen gemeinsam" ("We're helping together") initiative.
As early as Friday, February 17, 2023, two Boeing 777 freighters operated by Lufthansa Cargo will bring urgently needed relief supplies such as blankets, hygiene articles and food to the crisis region. The flights, with flight numbers LH8332 and LH8334, will depart from Frankfurt to Antalya at 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m. CET respectively.
From Monday, February 20, 2023, SunExpress will use flights under flight number XQ8881 for cargo-only transport every Monday and Tuesday. SunExpress has received an exemption from the relevant authorities for these so-called cargo flights. SunExpress also flies daily from Frankfurt to Antalya and will load relief goods on these flights.
DPD parcel stores accept relief packages
People are very willing to help those affected in the earthquake zones. With this joint initiative, the companies involved also want to give private donors the opportunity to help quickly and easily. Relief packages containing urgently needed aid supplies can be handed in in the 7,500 DPD stores from Monday, February 20, 2023. The initiative works closely with the aid organization AFAD in Turkey, which provides information on which relief supplies are urgently needed at any given time. At the moment, aid packages up to a maximum of 20kg with the following contents can be handed in:
- Unused or as good as new winter clothing for babies, children, men and women
- sleeping bags
- blankets
- scarves
- diapers
- Baby bottles and nipples for babies
- gloves
- Food (dry products like bread and cookies; baby food)
- Hygiene boxes (soap, shampoo; no liquids!)
- Sanitary pads
A parcel slip must be printed out in advance, which is free of charge for donation parcels. The link to this and further information can be found on the initiative's website at www.wir-helfen-gemeinsam.de.
Companies can also make an important contribution and support the Airlift as sponsors or with donations in kind. Interested companies are asked to contact the initiative directly. Contact details can be found on the initiative's website.
"I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all partners," said Max Kownatzki CEO of SunExpress Airlines. "Thanks to their flexibility and willingness to help, it was only possible at all to set up this airlift and put it into action within a few days. Now, together, we can do what is most important to all of us in the coming weeks: provide targeted help on the ground to at least somewhat alleviate the suffering of the people affected by the tragedy. The airlift is an important extension of our previous commitment in the form of rescue and evacuation flights as well as the free transport of cargo, which we have already been offering since February 6."
"This disaster affects us all. Many of our colleagues are from Türkiye. At the same time, we feel an overwhelming willingness to help – among us in the team as well as among people throughout Germany. From Monday, relief packages can therefore be dropped off in our DPD Parcel Shops," says Andreas Thams, Chief Sales Officer at DPD Germany.
"Countless people have been affected by the earthquake disaster in Türkiye and Syria. The terrible pictures and news make stunned and sad. Many colleagues in our FIEGE team have relatives and friends in Türkiye or Syria. For us, it goes without saying that we are helping in this emergency situation," says Felix Fiege, co-CEO of FIEGE, who runs the family business together with his cousin Jens Fiege in the fifth generation. Jens Fiege adds, "By collecting the donations in our warehouses and packing and loading the relief supplies, we want to do our part for the airlift - and hope that in this way we can alleviate the suffering of the affected people in the earthquake areas at least a little."
"The enormous willingness of people to help those affected in the earthquake zone is overwhelming. As an airfreight company, we can make a concrete contribution to supplying the people on the ground and at the same time support the many private initiatives in their desire to help. I would like to thank all employees whose work made the implementation of the airlift possible so quickly," said Dorothea von Boxberg, Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of Lufthansa Cargo AG.
The need for aid in the earthquake zone is so great that a stable and continuous transport process between Germany and Türkiye is essential to ensure that the people on the ground are supplied. By utilizing synergies and the expertise of the individual parties involved, the enormous private willingness to help on the part of the population is being reliably channeled as part of the airlift. The private donations received in the DPD stores are distributed via the logistics centers of the FIEGE Group, coordinated by the logistics service provider time:matters, cleared through customs by the customs service provider CB Customs Broker and flown to Antalya several times a week by air freight from SunExpress and Lufthansa Cargo.
In Antalya, the relief supplies are transported to the earthquake areas with the help of the local disaster management authority AFAD and the logistics partners DSV and Celebi.
All information about the initiative, supporters and needed relief goods can be found on the website www.wir-helfen-gemeinsam.de.
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Lufthansa Cargo AG
With a turnover of 3.8 billion euros and a transport performance of 7.2 billion freight ton kilometers in 2021, Lufthansa Cargo is one of the world's leading companies in the transport of airfreight. The company currently employs around 4,200 people worldwide. Lufthansa Cargo's focus is on the airport-to-airport business. The route network covers around 300 destinations in more than 100 countries, using both freighter aircraft and cargo capacity from passenger aircraft operated by Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings Discover and SunExpress, as well as trucks. The majority of the cargo business is handled via Frankfurt Airport. Lufthansa Cargo is pursuing the goal of becoming the world's most sustainable cargo airline. To achieve this, the company relies on state-of-the-art technologies and continuous investments in the area of sustainability. In 2021, important milestones were reached, such as the fleet modernization to an all-B777F fleet and the introduction of completely CO2-neutral freight transport for all customers. In 2022, Lufthansa Cargo plans to successively equip its fleet with Sharkskin technology and expand its Sustainable Aviation Fuel program to further reduce CO2 emissions. Lufthansa Cargo is a wholly owned subsidiary of Deutsche Lufthansa AG and the specialist for the logistics business of the Lufthansa Group.
About SunExpress Airlines
SunExpress was founded in 1989 as a joint venture between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines and is one of the leading providers of charter and vacation flights to Turkey. The vacation specialist currently serves a route network of around 51 international destinations with its modern Boeing 737 fleet. The airline has been combining Turkish hospitality with German precision for more than 30 years and welcomes around 10 million passengers on board its aircraft every year. SunExpress is a strong partner of Turkish tourism and has received several awards for the service and comfort on board its flights. The carrier scores with a good price-performance ratio and a wide range of innovations and digital services. For more information, visit www.sunexpress.com.
About DPD
DPD Germany is part of the international DPDgroup, Europe's largest parcel delivery network. DPD has 79 depots and 7,500 pickup parcel stores across Germany. 9,500 employees and 12,000 delivery staff are on duty for customers every day. Every year, the number 2 in the German parcel market transports more than 400 million parcels - and does so in a completely climate-neutral manner, at no additional cost to customers. With numerous initiatives for sustainable parcel delivery, DPD is demonstrating how parcel shipping can be made environmentally friendly and locally emission-free, especially in the inner cities.
About FIEGE
The FIEGE Group with its headquarters in Greven, Westphalia, is one of the most innovative logistics providers in Europe. With more than 23,000 employees at 133 locations in 16 countries, FIEGE operates internationally - from the core markets in Europe to Asia. FIEGE is a family-owned company in its fifth generation and is considered a pioneer in contract logistics. Modular solutions in the areas of logistics, digital services, real estate and ventures form the core of its business activities. At its locations, the FIEGE Group has more than four million square meters of logistics space. www.fiege.com
About time:matters GmbH
About time:matters GmbH: time:matters has been an expert in time-critical emergency transport and supply chain solutions for more than 20 years. Highly urgent spare parts, missing production materials, medical samples, hazardous goods or important documents are transported quickly and reliably from A to B via air, rail and road, if required also personally accompanied by onboard courier or as a charter solution. The basis for this is the global network with over 500 courier partners and airlines. In principle, time:matters can use any available airline and thus utilize a comprehensive route network. In addition to speed and reliability, individual and flexible service is a top priority. time:matters is available around the clock, 365 days a year, to design customized, individual logistics concepts - from ad-hoc cases to regular business. In addition, customers can submit a transport request at any time via the time:matters Booking website, which is quoted in real time and can be booked immediately. time:matters is ISO 9001:2015 certified, as well as being awarded the ISO 14001:2015 environmental certificate. The company is consistently expanding its sustainability strategy. By 2025, time:matters aims to reduce its own CO2 emissions by up to 50%, mainly through the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). From 2023, 100% SAF will be invested in for all sameday air and onboard courier[1] transports. Since 2022, the company has already been CO2 neutral through reduction and compensation measures. The company employs more than 300 people and also operates its own handling terminals for express and courier shipments at Frankfurt and Munich airports. time:matters GmbH has been AEO certified since April 2019. time:matters (Shanghai) International Freight Forwarding Ltd. was founded on June 1, 2019. The company supports customers locally, from booking to issuing air waybills and local invoicing. The launch of time:matters Americas, Inc. took place in July 2020 as part of time:matters' internationalization strategy. The U.S. Group company, headquartered in Miami, Florida, serves both domestic and international customers.
