Lufthansa Cargo is the Lufthansa Group's dedicated air-freight airline and capacity-marketing company. Based at Frankfurt Airport, it combines its own Boeing 777F long-haul freighters and Airbus A321F medium-haul freighters with cargo space in Lufthansa Group passenger aircraft.[1]
History
Lufthansa Cargo AG was founded on 30 November 1994 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Deutsche Lufthansa AG.[1] It brought the group's freighter operation and cargo sales into a dedicated company. For many years the McDonnell Douglas MD-11F was the airline's signature aircraft, alongside earlier Boeing 747 freighters.
Fleet renewal began with the Boeing 777F, which offered longer range, lower fuel consumption and a two-engine replacement for the MD-11F. Lufthansa Cargo retired its final MD-11F in 2021, completing the transition of its own long-haul freighter fleet to the 777.
Network and Frankfurt hub
Frankfurt Airport is the airline's home hub and principal cargo-handling centre. Long-haul freighter services link Europe with major markets in Asia, North America, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East. Munich and other Lufthansa Group hubs add substantial belly-freight access, while road feeder services connect airports and industrial regions to the flight network.
Lufthansa Cargo also cooperates closely with AeroLogic, its 50:50 joint venture with DHL Express. AeroLogic aircraft operate parts of the partners' networks, increasing 777F capacity without duplicating a separate fleet platform.
Fleet and capacity
Lufthansa Cargo's published fleet comprises 18 Boeing 777F long-haul freighters and four Airbus A321F medium-haul freighters. The A321Fs have been part of the network since 2022. More than half of the freight marketed within the Lufthansa Group travels in the lower-deck holds of passenger aircraft.[2]
The 777F is used for intercontinental routes and dense cargo markets. The converted A321F serves European and short-to-medium-haul sectors where a wide-body freighter would be too large. Belly capacity on Lufthansa Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Discover Airlines, ITA Airways and SunExpress flights extends the network to destinations not served by a dedicated freighter.[2]
Products and operations
Lufthansa Cargo carries general cargo and express freight as well as products requiring controlled handling. Specialist services cover pharmaceuticals, perishables, live animals, valuables, dangerous goods, e-commerce and time-critical shipments.
The airline's role is broader than flying its own aircraft. It plans and sells cargo capacity across partner fleets, coordinates road feeder services and manages shipment handling through hubs and stations. This integrated use of freighters, passenger-aircraft bellies and trucks gives the Lufthansa Group a cargo network with both high-volume trunk routes and wide destination coverage.