Spanish airline Spanair is dropping its outsourced freight sales agreement with Lufthansa Cargo, sending its belly marketing business instead to majority owner SAS Cargo.

The decision effective this September ends what is likely the largest outsourced sales agreement Lufthansa Cargo had struck through Cargo Counts, a division aimed at extending the airline's strengths in sales and capacity management.

Cargo counts has managed the belly business at niche operators Thomas Cook, Air Asia, Air Luxor and Sun Express in addition to Spanair and the Spanish airline's 51 aircraft.

SAS Cargo, which owns 95 percent of Spanair, says the agreement will give the airline's customers for freight and mail an expanded route network between Spain and North and Central Europe.

"We are convinced that SAS Cargo is the right partner to expand and develop this business," said Ramón Ferre, cargo vice president at Spanair.

SAS says it will use its own staff and its network of general sales agents to manage the Spanair business.