Lufthansa Cargo has made this announcement:

• · Second A321 freighter enters service in October 2022
• · Expansion of the European network with inclusion of Birmingham, London and Madrid
• · Daily weekday service to the UK and Ireland will deliver attractive Same-Day and eCommerce solutions
• · Two additional A321 freighters to complement medium-haul services in the first half of 2023

From October 2022, Lufthansa Cargo will offer its customers additional capacities in its medium-haul network on specially converted Airbus A321 freighters. The first cargo flight of its kind took off from Frankfurt to Dublin in March 2022. Due to the positive response from the market and the continuing high demand from the eCommerce and Same-Day segments, a second aircraft of this type will enter scheduled service from October.

Luthansa Cargo A321F

The second A321F with registration D-AEUA is currently undergoing conversion in Singapore. The twin-engine, technically advanced narrow-body aircraft is powerful and fuel-efficient at the same time. It is identical in design to the first A321 freighter (D-AEUC, ‘Hello Europe’): A total of 28 tons of payload is available on 14 pallets and container positions on the main deck and ten on the lower deck. Lufthansa Cargo can continue enlarging its footprint by offering the known quality service and product in the fast growing eCommerce segment.

Similar to the first A321F, the second aircraft will also be based at the Frankfurt hub and operated by Lufthansa CityLine under wet lease agreement. Both A321Fs will operate under Lufthansa Cargo flight numbers. As a Group company, Lufthansa CityLine has worked intensively in recent months on the technical and operational preparation of the first two converted aircraft of this type in Germany. The new destinations in the intra-European network include Birmingham (BHX), London (LHR) and Madrid (MAD). The existing destinations Istanbul (IST), Tel Aviv (TLV), Malta (MLA), Tunis (TUN), Dublin (DUB), Manchester (MAN) and Cairo (CAI) will continue to be served, while Istanbul and Tel Aviv will see additional frequencies.

In light of the dynamic market development and continuing high demand for Same-Day and eCommerce solutions, Lufthansa Cargo continues to focus on growth for its intra-European network. Two additional A321 freighters are expected in the first half of 2023. This means that Lufthansa Cargo will double its A321F capacities in the future and will strive to deploy these aircraft to suit the respective customer needs.

Lufthansa Cargo aircraft photo gallery:

 

Lufthansa Cargo has issued this report:

Scientifically based reduction targets of greenhouse gas emissions as basis for sustainability measures / Lufthansa Cargo presents Sustainability Update 2022

With the goal of achieving CO₂-neutrality by 2050, Lufthansa Cargo is on track to lead the aviation and cargo industry into a more sustainable future. To this end, as part of the Lufthansa Group, it relies on a measurable corporate commitment to sustainability on the basis of science-based targets for the reduction targets of greenhouse gas emissions. At the Sustainability Conference at Frankfurt Airport today, Lufthansa Cargo also presented its Sustainability Update 2022, which provides an overview of measures and projects already implemented on the way to CO₂ neutrality.

Lufthansa Cargo will derive its own emissions target from the Lufthansa Group’s validated science-based targets

The Lufthansa Group – and thus also Lufthansa Cargo – have set themselves ambitious climate protection targets: The goal is to halve net CO₂ emissions by 2030 compared to 2019 and to achieve a neutral CO₂ balance by 2050. In order to further specify these net targets and to expand the target system to include pure reduction targets, it has already joined the so-called “Science Based Target Initiative” (SBTi) in 2021 in order to bring its CO₂ reduction path into line with the United Nations’ Paris Climate Agreement. Based on scientific calculations, CO₂ emissions are continuously reduced with the help of fleet renewal and optimization, improved operational efficiency, and the use of sustainable aviation fuels. The official validation of these targets is imminent. For freighters, there will be a special sub-target.

The Science Based Targets Initiative only accepts emission reductions that are the result of fuel consumption reductions, for example through modern new aircraft, operational and airspace infrastructure measures, and the substitution of fossil fuel with Sustainable Aviation Fuel.

Dorothea von Boxberg, Chairperson of the Executive Board and CEO of Lufthansa Cargo: “Over the past 25 years, we have already been able to reduce our CO₂ footprint per ton kilometer by 52%. But that is still not enough. That is why we want to set ourselves ambitious targets for the future. With the ‘Science Based Targets Initiative’ we have found a credible, scientific basis for this. We want to be transparent about what we have achieved so far and just as open with our customers, partners and the public about how we can get even better.”

For Lufthansa Cargo, the efforts to achieve complete CO₂ neutrality focus primarily on five fields of action: continuous fleet modernization, more efficient use of fuels, the switch to more sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), CO₂ compensation projects in other sectors, and reduction of emissions on the ground.

Fleet modernization. Lufthansa Cargo is investing heavily in continuous fleet modernization. As a result, CO₂ emissions have already been reduced by 52% over the past 25 years. Since October 2021, Lufthansa Cargo has completely converted its fleet to Boeing 777F freighters – currently the most modern and efficient freighter with the best environmental balance. By 2030, Lufthansa Cargo will also receive up to 10 additional Boeing freighters, including seven 777-8F freighters, Boeing’s next-generation freighter. The Boeing 777-8F freighters will again significantly reduce CO₂ emissions.

Fuel efficiency. To ensure that conventional aviation fuel is used as efficiently as possible, thereby reducing the total amount required, Lufthansa Cargo is relying on various measures. For example, Lufthansa Cargo will successively equip all freighters with Sharkskin technology from 2022. The innovative AeroSHARK coating, which is modeled on a sharkskin, reduces the aircraft’s frictional resistance in the air by more than 1% and thus reduces fuel consumption. In the Lufthansa Cargo fleet, this can save around 3,700 tons of kerosene or almost 13,000 tons of CO₂ emissions annually. In addition, lightweight containers have been used exclusively in flight operations since 2020. This will result in a weight reduction of 14 kg per container and fuel savings of 2,160 tons per year. Weight reduction is also being pursued for other loading aids. Fuel is also saved thanks to optimized flight procedures.

Sustainable Aviation Fuels. Lufthansa Cargo is one of the pioneers in the use of SAF in the airfreight industry. More than 1% of Lufthansa Cargo’s fuel requirements in 2021 have already been covered by Sustainable Aviation Fuels. The airfreight company also currently offers the only regular full-charter cargo connection worldwide that is 100% covered by SAF. This saves around 174 tons of conventional kerosene each week. Since October 2021, Lufthansa Cargo has also been one of the first customers of the world’s first power-to-liquid fuel plant in Emsland, Lower Saxony. Together with one of its customers, Lufthansa Cargo has committed to purchasing at least 20 tons (=25,000 liters) of the synthetic, CO₂-neutral crude oil annually over the next five years in order to further advance the innovative power-to-liquid technology as well as the use and further development of sustainable aviation fuels.

Lufthansa Cargo presented the measures it has taken and the successes it has achieved so far at its Sustainability Conference at Frankfurt Airport on Thursday, July 14. Keynote speakers included Dorothea von Boxberg (CEO of Lufthansa Cargo), Dr. Sabine Mauderer (Member of the Executive Board of Deutsche Bundesbank), Marc Buckley (Environmentalist, Ecological Economist, UN Advocate and Advisor) and Matthias Kopp (Director Sustainable Finance, WWF Germany). Together with numerous customers, current issues around the topic of sustainability were also discussed. Lufthansa Cargo will regularly supplement its update on sustainability and report on the interim goals achieved. As soon as the concrete science-based targets for the Lufthansa Group have been validated, the designated targets for cargo aircraft contained in them will also be made available to the public.

Lufthansa Cargo aircraft photo gallery:

Cathay Pacific and Lufthansa Cargo have announced the addition of Swiss WorldCargo to our joint venture, which offers our customers more direct connections, more flexibility and more time savings.

Swiss WorldCargo’s entry builds on the Joint Business Agreement signed in 2016 between Cathay Pacific and Lufthansa Cargo, which allows us to collaborate on distribution, pricing, contracts and the handling of shipments between Hong Kong and Europe.

Cathay Pacific and Lufthansa Cargo already work closely together on international routes through their hubs in Hong Kong and Germany, while cargo handling in Hong Kong is coordinated under one roof at the Cathay Pacific Cargo Terminal at Hong Kong International Airport.

Under the expanded joint business agreement, Cathay Pacific, Lufthansa Cargo and Swiss WorldCargo will work closely together on network planning and in the areas of sales, IT and ground handling. Initially, the airlines will cooperate on routes from Hong Kong to Zurich and Frankfurt. Traffic to and from Hong Kong and the rest of Europe will be added later this year.

In other news, Lufthansa Cargo Boeing 777F with the registration D-ALFH was officially named “Namaste India” at Mumbai Airport on May 31.

The freighter has been part of Lufthansa Cargo’s fleet since August 2020. Due to the Covid pandemic the naming ceremony had to be delayed. On May 31, the naming ceremony could be held prior to the departure of LH8361 from Mumbai to Frankfurt by Ashwin Bhat, Chief Commercial Officer at Lufthansa Cargo, and in the presence of J. Florian Pfaff, Vice President Asia Pacific at Lufthansa Cargo, customers and station employees.

Lufthansa Cargo aircraft photo gallery:

Lufthansa Cargo made this announcement:

Digitization of paper AWBs as of summer flight schedule continues to drive digital transformation of air cargo industry

In 2020, IATA announced an industry goal to achieve 100% eAWB by the end of 2022, meaning that all shipments will be carried only with electronic air waybills (eAWB). To meet this goal and continue to lead the way in digitizing the entire air cargo industry, Lufthansa Cargo is now taking a major step towards completely paperless shipments: starting with the summer schedule on March 27, 2022, all shipments on feasible lanes will be carried with electronic air waybill – eAWB only. In addition, the airline is introducing a “paper-to-eAWB” service, through which the few remaining paper-based AWBs will be digitized at shipment acceptance and then continue to accompany the shipment as an eAWB.

“Over the past few years, we have driven many digitization initiatives in the air cargo industry. In fact, eliminating paper AWBs in the future could be one of the most important steps. A majority of our customers already use eAWB exclusively. With the new service, we can now easily take all customers with us on our digitization journey and enable them to take the step towards paperless transports as well,” explains Ashwin Bhat, Chief Commercial Officer at Lufthansa Cargo.

“Our goal is to make communication with our customers easier, faster and better with the help of our digital services. We have implemented the eAWB process as an industry standard of IATA continuously and worldwide at Lufthansa Cargo since 2014. A five-year data quality initiative that effectively de-cluttered the data interface between customers and Lufthansa Cargo was, among other things, an important cornerstone that enabled sustainable eAWB penetration and consistent top positions in global rankings,” said Dr. Jan-Wilhelm Breithaupt, Vice President Global Fulfillment Management Lufthansa Cargo. “We are very pleased to have achieved our goal of transporting paperless shipments and avoiding unnecessary printouts along the process chains together with our customers and partners.”

The newly introduced service is mandatory on feasible lanes for all forwarding companies that do not yet use electronic air waybills. Routes that are eAWB-feasible are those for which the regulatory basis for the use of electronic air waybills is in place. This means that all shippers who have not been able to use eAWB so far due to their own infrastructure can also switch to paperless transports. If local regulations in a country require the presentation of a paper AWB, Lufthansa Cargo will re-produce the AWB and it will accompany the shipment on the flight. In addition to more efficient transport routes and faster information flows, paper is also saved during transports. This sustainability aspect also plays into the United Nations’ sustainability goals “Climate Action” and “Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure,” to which Lufthansa Cargo has committed itself along with other goals.

CHC was founded in May 2007 by Lufthansa Cargo staff members and doctors from Germany / Unbureaucratic and on-going help for people in need in Kenya.

Cargo Human Care (CHC) was founded 10 years ago by employees of Lufthansa Cargo and doctors in Germany with the aim of providing unbureaucratic and ongoing help for the poorest parts of the population in Kenya. Medical care and education are the pillars of its commitment. Today the organization runs a children’s home for 120 orphans, a medical centre where 50 German doctors work on a regular basis, and a young people’s home that offers vocational training for school-leavers of the children’s home. Lufthansa Cargo has supported this project right from the start and provides flight tickets for doctors and free transport capacities for medical equipment among other things.

CHC’s commitment at a glance

CHC’s hitherto over 200 sponsorships are one of the most important pillars of its development work. Through their regular donations the sponsors enable solid, reliable school and career training and medical care for the children, teenagers and young people in CHC’s environment. In 2016, the sponsors gave a total of €108,000. Over the past ten years their donations totaled €3.5m. This ensures educational institutions with good quality standards, extracurricular assistance and support by social workers, as well as medical care for those with chronic illnesses.

The Mothers’ Mercy Home (MMH) is a children’s home for orphans in the north of Nairobi. It was founded in 2001 by women of the Anglican Church, and CHC added a new building in 2008. There Cargo Human Care provides a home for 120 orphans with the help of donations and sponsorships.

During their career training, up to 24 young people live in the John Kaheni Residence community, named after an MMH orphan who passed away. All CHC career training activities outside the MMH are coordinated there by CHC social workers and external trainers. The development of personal skills, communication coaching, career orientation and interview training, coordination of internships and IT knowledge are important elements.

The Cargo Human Care Medical Centre was opened in 2009 to provide a medical care service to people in need in the vicinity of the orphanage. In addition to treatment rooms, it has a laboratory and pharmacy. 50 Specialist doctors from Germany regularly volunteer their services at the clinic for approximately one week at a time supporting a local team of twelve people. In 2016, they helped around 7,000 destitute patients by providing over 25,000 treatments.

CHC also continues to help around 6,000 people in four villages of the Marsabit region in the north of Kenya by raising funds and providing aid in the fight against hunger.