Lufthansa Cargo will add short, medium and long-haul capacity for summer 2023. Frequencies to destinations in China served by a Boeing 777F will be increased and combined in routing, while the carrier’s Airbus A321F network will also be expanded.
On Tuesday (February 14, 2023), Lufthansa Cargo announced an expansion of their short, medium and long-haul freighter capacity for summer 2023. Weekly frequencies to destinations in China served by Boeing 777 Freighters will be both increased and combined in routing, while the carrier will also expand their Airbus A321F network on short and medium-haul routes. Lufthansa Cargo’s summer 2023 schedule currently includes 79 weekly intercontinental connections, with serv ice from Frankfurt (FRA) with 16 Boeing 777Fs. The route network expansion includes added capacity to China, including 10 weekly freighter flights to Shanghai (PVG). On two of the Shanghai connections, Lufthansa will also serve Chengdu (CTU), doubling capacity there. Additionally, flights to Hong Kong (HKG) will increase from five to six, including one stop in Almaty (ALA) in Kazakhstan. The combined service from Frankfurt via Mumbai (BOM) to Hyderabad (HYD) will also increase to two weekly flights.
In Tuesday’s capacity expansion announcement, Lufthansa Cargo’s Chief Commercial Officer, Aswin Bhat, said,
“Looking at the Chinese market in particular, we are seeing an upturn in economic activity and thus also an increasing demand for a reliable and quality transport solutions by airfreight for sensitive and high value goods. Accordingly, we have specifically adapted the flight schedule to meet the demands of our customers. The extensive capacity of our fleet gives us more flexibility on intercontinental routes as well as in the short- and medium-haul network.”
Additionally, Lufthansa Cargo will continue to offer proven 777F services to destinations in North and South America, along with the route to Tel Aviv (TLV) in combination with Cairo (CAI) for summer 2023. On short and medium-haul routes, Lufthansa Cargo will offer over 50 weekly connections with two Airbus A321F aircraft, with their A321 Freighter fleet growing to four jets by the end of July. Complementing the increased dedicated freighter capacity, the company will also market additional belly-hold capacity with some Lufthansa Group airlines. This summer, cargo will be regularly transported on over 7,000 weekly flights by Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings Discover and SunExpress. The summer 2023 schedule commences on March 26, 2023.
With revenue of €3.8 billion and 7.2 billion freight ton kilometers in 2021, Lufthansa Cargo is one of the world’s leading air freight companies, employing approximately 4,200 team members worldwide. The cargo carrier serves around 300 destinations in over 100 countries with a dedicated fleet of freighters, as well as belly-hold cargo capacity of passenger aircraft operated by Lufthansa German Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings Discover and SunExpress. In 2021, the company reached important milestones such as a fleet modernization to an all Boeing 777F widebody fleet, and the introduction of CO2 neutral freight transport for all customers. The airline is currently equipping their fleet of dedicated 777 Freighters with Sharkskin technology to reduce drag, and expand their SAF program to further reduce CO2 emissions. The company also operates an extensive road feeder service network. Lufthansa Cargo is a wholly owned subsidiary of Deutsche Lufthansa AG and is the Group’s logistics specialist.
Source: Lufthansa Cargo