Japan Airlines Cargo will join the WOW airfreight alliance on July 5 2002. The announcement was made in Tokyo by Juntaro Shimizu, Senior Vice President, Cargo & Mail of Japan Airlines, Dr. Andreas Otto, Member of the Executive Board at Lufthansa Cargo AG, Peter Gronlund, President & CEO of the SAS Cargo Group and Hwang Teng Aun, President of Singapore Airlines Cargo.

Japan Airlines Cargos decision means the WOW alliance has gained one of the major players in the air cargo business. The WOW alliance now boasts a combined fleet of 43 dedicated freighters, many of them widebodied jets. Between them, Lufthansa Cargo, Singapore Airlines Cargo, SAS Cargo and now JAL Cargo offer an unparalleled network of destinations, linking the worlds major trading centres.

"We believe that by this strategic step we are able to enhance the global approach of JAL Cargo. By adding to WOWs harmonized product portfolio and worldwide air cargo network we will keep the pace of our customers demands and the trends of globalization", stated Juntaro Shimizu, Japan Airlines Cargo.

Lufthansa Executive Board Chairman Jürgen Weber welcomes the expansion of the WOW freight alliance: "With the integration of JAL Cargo, Lufthansa Cargo and WOW are gaining one of the strongest freight carriers in the Asian market as a partner. This will further reinforce the Lufthansas position in this market and optimally expand the global network represented by this airfreight alliance."

"Japan Airlines Cargo joining WOW is a natural development of our prior bilateral and also tripartite co-operation including Lufthansa Cargo. With JAL Cargo's extensive network, and exclusive know-how on the Japanese market, we can offer our customers even better solutions", says Mr. Peter Grnlund, President and CEO of SAS Cargo Group AS.

The inclusion of Japan Airlines Cargo will significantly expand the alliance network in northern Asia. With Japan Airlines Cargo as a fourth partner, the WOW alliance will establish a major presence in Japan, Asias largest economy.

Lufthansa Cargo, SAS Cargo and Singapore Airlines Cargo laid the foundations for the airline grouping, initially under the "New Global Cargo" project name, in Kronberg near Frankfurt on April 26 2000. The alliance assumed the new name of WOW on March 14 2002.

From April 1 this year, the WOW partner airlines also harmonised their general cargo products, continuing the alliances commitment to offering customers "Three Products One Promise". Any of three products can be booked to the destinations within the common network.

Japan Airlines Cargo will play an active part in the alliances ongoing development. The Japanese cargo carrier is already cooperating in the WOW project team, which is at work harmonising the individual product portfolios, networking the partner airlines IT systems, standardising handling processes and exploiting synergies in sales.