US-based United Airlines (UAL) has entered a joint venture agreement with Germany’s Lufthansa Cargo to establish a joint venture (JV) to cater to routes to the US and Europe.

Under the proposed cargo JV, the partners are expected to work together on the availability of their capacity, as well as booking and handling processes.

The combined routes of both UAL and Lufthansa will also offer more flexibility and time savings to the customers by adding more than 600 direct connections a week between the US and Europe.

“The Lufthansa-United cargo joint venture will generate numerous benefits for our customers because our continental and transatlantic networks, our hubs and our fleet complement each other effectively.”

The network platform will also provide various benefits through access from either partner’s booking channels, along with coordinated cargo handling processes and transfers at several stations.

Lufthansa Cargo CEO Peter Gerber said: “The Lufthansa-United cargo joint venture will generate numerous benefits for our customers because our continental and transatlantic networks, our hubs and our fleet complement each other effectively.”

During the implementation stage of the JV, both UAL and Lufthansa will align their cargo IT systems and business processes.

Last October, Lufthansa announced that Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Cargo would relocate its local cargo handling activities in Frankfurt, Germany, to the Lufthansa Cargo terminal.

The initiative is a part of a joint business agreement (JBA) signed between the two airlines last May.