Lufthansa Cargo reports 47% rise in H1 2026 profit to €199mn

Lufthansa Cargo's H1 2026 adjusted EBIT jumped 47% to €199 million, as revenue rose 16% and cargo capacity expanded across key markets.

Revenue climbed to €1.92 billion, up from €1.65 billion a year earlier. The adjusted EBIT margin improved 2.2 percentage points to 10.4%, from 8.2% in the same period last year.

Capacity growth kept pace with demand. The carrier offered 7.21 billion freight tonne-kilometres, up 5%, driven largely by expanded belly capacity, including cargo space marketed on ITA Airways flights. Traffic rose in step, with freight tonne-kilometres up 5% to 4.6 billion. The average load factor edged up 0.2 percentage points to 63.8%.

"Alongside sustained strong market demand and continued robust business performance in Asia, we have continued our BOLD MOVES growth strategy and shaped Lufthansa Cargo's success in the first half of 2026," said Gregor Schleussner, CFO and CHRO of Lufthansa Cargo. He flagged ongoing volatility, geopolitical uncertainty, rising costs and competitive pressure as persistent headwinds. He also added that speed, efficiency and adaptability remain the carrier's priorities under its BOLD MOVES strategy, which targets a return to the world's top three cargo airlines by 2030, ranked by freight tonne-kilometers.

Lufthansa Cargo commissioned the ALPHA construction phase of LCCevo at Frankfurt on schedule at the end of June. This is the first major step in transforming its Frankfurt hub into what the carrier calls Europe’s most advanced cargo centre. The roughly €600 million project includes automated material handling and conveyor systems, a fully automated high-bay warehouse, and dedicated storage for temperature-sensitive cargo. Lufthansa Cargo expects the full buildout to be complete by 2030.

In Q2 2026, Lufthansa Cargo folded former subsidiaries heyworld GmbH and CB Customs Broker GmbH into a new entity, GlobeCross GmbH, combining digital eCommerce logistics with customs expertise. The new unit offers digital customs services, eCommerce imports terminals at major cargo hubs, and integrated logistics covering transport, customs clearance and final delivery. This, according to the carrier, extends its business beyond traditional airport-to-airport cargo into the growing cross-border parcel market.