Freight carrier posts significant increase in sales and utilisation in first half

Lufthansa Cargo continued on the up again in the second quarter of the year. Over the first six months, the cargo airline carried 830,000 tonnes of freight and mail, around 20 per cent more than in the first half 2009.  Volume growth was particularly pronounced into and out of Asia as well as to America. The transported volume in the Asia/Pacific traffic region grew by 24.6 per cent and in America by an even higher 31.1 per cent.

Lufthansa Cargo marginalIy increased capacity in the second quarter. Over the six-month period, capacity was up by 2.3 per cent.  Sales – as in the first three months – rose over-proportionately by 24.9 per cent at the half-year mark. Consequently, the load factor was up distinctly in the first six months to 72.3 per cent.  That equates to 13.1 percentage points more than a year ago.  

“We systematically seized market opportunities in the second quarter and invested in growth markets,” said Lufthansa Cargo Chairman and CEO Carsten Spohr.  With flights to new destinations, such as Tianjin in China and the re-inclusion in the fleet of the first MD-11 freighters, which were temporarily withdrawn from service, the Company is well-poised for the second half. “Since 1 July, our customers can also utilise capacities on board flights operated by Austrian Airlines,” remarked Carsten Spohr. “With them, we are offering an even more dense and larger network, together with an additional plus in flexibility.”

Lufthansa Cargo AG
Lufthansa Cargo ranks among the world’s leading cargo carriers. In the 2009 financial year, the airline transported around 1.5 million tonnes of freight and mail and clocked up 7.4 billion revenue tonne-kilometres. The Company currently employs about 4,500 people, worldwide. Lufthansa Cargo focuses on the airport-to-airport business. The cargo carrier serves some 300 destinations in 90 countries with its own fleet of freighters, the belly capacities of Lufthansa’s passenger aircraft and an extensive road feeder service network. The bulk of the cargo business is routed through Frankfurt Airport. Lufthansa Cargo is a wholly owned Lufthansa subsidiary. In the 2009 financial year, it posted revenues totalling 1.9 billion euros.