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Lufthansa Cargo adds cities to new intra-European freighter network

Two more standard-size cargo jets are scheduled for delivery this year

Lufthansa Cargo operates two Airbus A321 converted freighters (pictured) and is scheduled to add two more of the aircraft type by late summer. (Photo: Lufthansa Cargo)

Lufthansa Cargo is expanding its regional freighter network based at Germany’s Frankfurt airport to three destinations in southern Europe, the company said Tuesday. 

Added to the summer schedule, as of next week, are Larnaca, Cyprus; Athens, Greece; and Milan. In total, Lufthansa Cargo’s intra-European network will cover a dozen cities with more than 50 flights per week. 

The cargo subsidiary of Lufthansa Airlines (DXE: LHA) began operating short- and medium-distance routes for same-day e-commerce customers a year ago after leasing an Airbus A321 aircraft that was converted from passenger configuration to carry heavy containers in the cabin area. A second plane was added in October. Flying is outsourced to Lufthansa short-haul passenger subsidiary CityLine. 

Lufthansa Cargo, which also operates 16 large Boeing 777s on intercontinental routes, said it plans to double the size of its narrowbody fleet by late summer. 


The developments are noteworthy because Lufthansa Cargo is the 16th largest cargo airline by volume in the world, based on 2021 figures and excluding Russian carriers, and previously focused on long-haul freighter service.

The company said it will send two flights per week to Larnaca in a combined routing with Athens and one weekly flight to Milan, supporting shippers in the industrial region of northern Italy. Shipments can connect to other parts of Lufthansa’s global passenger and freighter network at the Frankfurt hub. 

Lufthansa officials say the first year of regional operations has been positively received by customers. The regional network has grown to include Birmingham, England; Dublin; London; Cairo; Istanbul; Madrid; Malta; Tel Aviv, Israel; and Tunis, Tunisia.

The A321 converted freighters combine a large amount of capacity for a narrowbody jet with fuel efficiency. The planes can carry nearly 31 tons, with 14 pallets and container positions on the main deck, plus 10 spots for small containers on the lower deck. That lower deck capability is lacking on the rival Boeing 737-800, which only accepts loose cargo.


Lufthansa Cargo posted record operating profit of $1.7 billion in 2022. The company last week said Chief Commercial Officer Ashwin Bhat would move up to CEO on April 15, replacing Dorothea von Boxberg. She was reassigned to head Brussels Airlines. 

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Eric Kulisch

Eric is the Supply Chain and Air Cargo Editor at FreightWaves. An award-winning business journalist with extensive experience covering the logistics sector, Eric spent nearly two years as the Washington, D.C., correspondent for Automotive News, where he focused on regulatory and policy issues surrounding autonomous vehicles, mobility, fuel economy and safety. He has won two regional Gold Medals and a Silver Medal from the American Society of Business Publication Editors for government and trade coverage, and news analysis. He was voted best for feature writing and commentary in the Trade/Newsletter category by the D.C. Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. He won Environmental Journalist of the Year from the Seahorse Freight Association in 2014 and was the group's 2013 Supply Chain Journalist of the Year. In December 2022, he was voted runner up for Air Cargo Journalist by the Seahorse Freight Association. As associate editor at American Shipper Magazine for more than a decade, he wrote about trade, freight transportation and supply chains. Eric is based in Portland, Oregon. He can be reached for comments and tips at [email protected]