Lufthansa Cargo's Last MD-11 Flight Spells End of an Era

Berlin — An era came to an end for Lufthansa Cargo on Saturday, when a tri-jet wide-body freighter landed in Frankfurt from New York, as the company switches to a more fuel efficient alternative.

Lufthansa's freight subsidiary has been using the MD-11 for 23 years but is now selling the aircraft to a company in the US.

"We know that this particular aircraft has an incredible number of fans, among our staff as well as aviation enthusiasts worldwide," said Lufthansa Cargo boss Dorothea von Boxberg.

The plane's fuel efficiency led to its introduction in the late 1990s. For the same reason, Lufthansa Cargo is now opting instead to use the twin-engine Boeing 777, with 10 in its fleet.

Lufthansa Cargo operated a total of 19 MD-11 aircraft.

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