HAMBURG: November 10, 2016. Senator International has begun a B747 freighter service linking Munich with BMW's car plant at Greenville-Spartanburg (GSP) airport in South Carolina.

The company is chartering an Air Atlanta Icelandic aircraft twice a week with flights from Frankfurt-Hahn to GSP on a Wednesday with a return to Munich the following day; and a departure from Munich on a Saturday with a return to Hahn every Sunday.

Senator said general sales agent Globe Air Cargo will be responsible for marketing the aircraft's cargo space while Chapman Freeborn will broker the freighter for additional charters.

BMW opened its manufacturing plant in 1994 adjacent to the airport and Interstate 85. The plant is the sole global producer of BMW's X3, X4, X5 and X6 Sports Activity vehicles that are exported to more than 140 countries.

A BMW spokesman said the manufacturing facility expects to use the new Senator service for both imports and exports between Germany, South Carolina and the surrounding region that includes North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia.

"Products like this, which allow the overall supply chain process to run smoothly, are the keys to success for our customers. We are looking forward to many customers benefiting from this special new product, which will also service any air cargo to and from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland," said Senator CEO Tim Kirschbaum.

According to Frankfurt-Hahn airport senior vice president Roger Scheifele, the aim of the new operation "is to keep the aircraft in the air for most of the time".

He said the only "reasonable solution" to achieve this is his airport and added: "Due to our 24-hour permit, our flexibility, the short turnaround times and our central location in Germany, [we] offer the best conditions for both charter and scheduled flights."