Lufthansa Cargo significantly improved its business results in 2025 compared to the previous year: Revenue increased by four per cent to 3.4 billion euros (previous year: 3.26 billion euros), and the adjusted EBIT rose by 29 per cent to 324 million euros (previous year: 251 million euros).
The adjusted EBIT margin improved by 1.8 percentage points to 9.5 per cent (previous year: 7.7 per cent). Available freight capacity was also expanded in 2025: a total of 14.45 billion freight tonne kilometres (+ 5.4 per cent) were offered.
Sales increased by seven per cent year-on-year to 9.1 billion freight tonne kilometres. The average load factor improved by 1.1 percentage points to 63 per cent (previous year: 61.9 per cent).
Furthermore, the quality measured in “delivery on time” increased by 5 percentage points compared to the previous year.
Lufthansa Cargo back among the top 5 global air freight providers
In addition to generally stable market demand and continued strong performance in the Asian business during the reporting period, the BOLD MOVES corporate strategy significantly contributed to Lufthansa Cargo’s success in 2025.
BOLD MOVES has been implemented since end of 2023 with the goal of firmly re-establishing Lufthansa Cargo among the world’s top three cargo airlines by 2030, based on Revenue Freight Kilometres. By the end of the 2026 financial year, a Top 5 position had been targeted.
Lufthansa Cargo has now reached this important interim milestone ahead of schedule, already achieving it by the end of the 2025 financial year. At the same time, both employee engagement and customer satisfaction increased significantly in the 2025 financial year.
The core elements of BOLD MOVES focus on three priorities: competitive core, profitable growth and focusing on its people and culture; enabling sustainable growth; and further developing the corporate culture.
Capacity expansion through ITA cooperation, Rome becomes Lufthansa Cargo’s fifth hub
In the 2025 financial year, Lufthansa Cargo significantly expanded its global offering and advanced key strategic initiatives.
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.
With Rome as the fifth hub, Lufthansa Cargo strengthens its presence in Southern Europe and will expand global belly hold capacity by around 20 percent in the long term.
Already today, Lufthansa Cargo is the home carrier in five of Europe’s ten most important air freight markets, including Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, and Austria.
Ashwin Bhat, CEO of Lufthansa Cargo, comments: “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.”
Gregor Schleussner, CFO and CHRO of Lufthansa Cargo, adds: “Lufthansa Cargo grew by 7.3 per cent last year – more than double the growth of the overall market, which stood at 3.4 per cent.
“This development impressively underscores the quality, reliability and economic strength of our business model. It is particularly noteworthy that we also exceeded our margin target – a clear sign of our consistent cost management and the high profitability of our operating business.
“This strong performance gives us additional financial leeway to continue investing in future technologies, infrastructure and high-quality services for our customers.
“At our hub Frankfurt alone, we are currently investing 600 million euros in our new, modern freight centre.”