Lufthansa Cargo saw solid business results in 2025 off the back of stable market demand, especially out of Europe and Asia.
The cargo division of Lufthansa said that full-year revenue increased by 4% to €3.4bn, up from €3.3bn in 2024, while adjusted earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) rose by 29% to €324m and the adjusted EBIT margin improved by 1.8 percentage points to 9.5%.
Meanwhile, demand increased by 7% year on year to 9.1bn revenue cargo tonne km (RCTK), capacity was up 5.4% to a total of 14.5bn available CTKs and the average load factor improved by 1.1 percentage points to 63%.
Lufthansa Cargo commented that it saw “generally stable market demand” during the reporting period.
Gregor Schleussner, chief financial officer and chief human resources officer of Lufthansa Cargo, pointed out: “Lufthansa Cargo grew by 7.3% last year – more than double the growth of the overall market, which stood at 3.4%.”
The company benefited from additional freighter capacity due to the addition of a Boeing 777F in the second half of 2024 as well as the expansion of passenger flight operations and the related increase in belly capacities
Lufthansa Cargo highlighted its “BOLD MOVES” corporate strategy to re-establish Lufthansa Cargo among the world’s top three cargo airlines by 2030, based on RCTKs.
The airline said it had now reached the milestone of becoming a top-five global airfreight provider.
Network improvements
Lufthansa Cargo took major steps to improve its network in 2025, strengthening its European presence as well as its position in the Middle East, Asia and North America.
New A321-200P2F destinations in 2025 included Katowice (KTW), Rome (FCO) and Beirut (BEY).
Freighter operations to Tel Aviv (TLV) were resumed and increased to up to seven weekly flights.
In intercontinental traffic, freighter connections to Almaty (ALA) and a new route from Shanghai (PVG) to Los Angeles (LAX) over the Pacific were added, complemented by a broad offering of up to 50 weekly frequencies in Asia-Pacific and more than 30 destinations in North and South America.
Bellyhold capacity was also expanded through new routes from Vienna (VIE) to Los Angeles (LAX) and from Munich (MUC) to Orlando (MCO), as well as to Windhoek (WDH) and Calgary (YYC).
Lufthansa Cargo noted “continued strong performance in the Asian business” during the reporting period, in particular.
The business is working with both ITA Airways and Swiss WorldCargo to grow business in Europe.
ITA Airways has been part of the Lufthansa Group since the beginning of 2025 after the Group acquired a 41% stake in the Rome-headquartered Italian airline.
Lufthansa Cargo began marketing the cargo capacities on ITA Airways routes in June 2025 and added Rome (FCO) as its fifth hub that summer.
“Since June 2025, the company has been marketing the cargo capacities of ITA Airways; since the winter schedule, this includes nearly the entire continental and intercontinental network of the Italian airline — excluding routes to and from the U.S. and Canada until regulatory approval is granted,” updated Lufthansa Cargo.
“With Rome as the fifth hub, Lufthansa Cargo strengthens its presence in Southern Europe and will expand global belly hold capacity by around 20% in the long term.”
In July 2025, Swiss WorldCargo joined Lufthansa Cargo’s and United Cargo’s transatlantic alliance.
In the current 2026 financial year, Lufthansa Cargo said it will deepen its collaboration with Swiss WorldCargo, adding Zurich as the sixth cargo hub in the European network.
Investment in verticals and digitalisation
In 2025, Lufthansa Cargo further strengthened its offering for verticals such as pharma, automotive, aviation and semiconductors.
Developments to aid these verticals included joining Silicon Saxony, introducing new standards for vehicle transport and optimising processes for the transportation of aircraft engines.
Lufthansa Cargo also invested €600m in its Frankfurt hub.
At the same time, a new online booking system accelerates processes, an improved tracking solution increases transparency, and AI‑powered tools – as automated email bookings and VR training – boost efficiency and service quality, said the airline.
Ashwin Bhat, chief executive of Lufthansa Cargo, commented: “Being back among the top 5 global air freight providers already in 2025 is proof of the impact of our BOLD MOVES strategy and of the outstanding commitment and ambition of our team worldwide.
“We have taken decisive steps in a short period of time to continue improving quality, customer satisfaction, and efficiency at the same time – exactly where our customers experience the greatest value.
“In parallel, we are advancing our network in a targeted way: Our partnerships with ITA Airways and Swiss WorldCargo open additional opportunities for our customers. Both bring us closer to our goal of making Lufthansa Cargo one of the world’s top three air freight providers by 2030.”
