Company profile
Lufthansa Cargo is the all-cargo airline of the German Lufthansa Group. Its cargo business traces back to Deutsche Luft Hansa in 1926, and the separate legal entity Lufthansa Cargo AG was established on 30 November 1994, with head office and main hub at Frankfurt Airport (FRA) and secondary hubs at Munich, Brussels and Vienna. Its codes are IATA LH and ICAO GEC, its radio callsign LUFTHANSA CARGO, and its website lufthansa-cargo.com.
On fleet, Lufthansa Cargo's own freighters are twelve Boeing 777F and four Airbus A321F, while AeroLogic, the joint venture with DHL, operates a Boeing 777F fleet sharing intercontinental mainline capacity. The McDonnell Douglas MD-11F was fully retired in October 2021, taking the fleet into a two-type era. Lufthansa Cargo is one of Europe's largest all-cargo carriers, with a network centred on Frankfurt that covers the world.
In China, Lufthansa Cargo is an important carrier toward Europe: the Shanghai Pudong route is flown daily by freighter (FRA–PVG), Hong Kong seven times a week (FRA–HKG), and Shenzhen twice a week since July 2024 in a Frankfurt–Shenzhen–Dubai loop. Beijing is served by Lufthansa passenger belly capacity and Guangzhou has freighter capacity without published schedules. Cargo from China connects through the Frankfurt hub to all of Europe and onward to the Middle East, Africa, North America and Asian stations.
For Chinese shippers the value of Lufthansa Cargo lies in the dense frequency at Frankfurt and the ability to distribute across Europe. Outbound from China the cargo is mainly electronics, e-commerce parcels, auto parts and industrial goods; on the return leg it is mainly European auto components, machinery, pharmaceuticals and premium consumer goods. Lufthansa Cargo runs a joint venture with Cathay Pacific toward Asia, which widens the network choice for shippers in south and east China. Its capacity in China keeps growing, and with Shenzhen it is one of the European carriers running freighters steadily at three Chinese gateways, so Chinese shippers can plan both exports and imports on its nonstop network and European distribution system.
In terms of capacity layout in China, three nonstop gateways cover east China, the Greater Bay Area and south China: the daily Shanghai freighter supports steady shipping from the Yangtze River Delta, Hong Kong seven times a week supports high-frequency flows from the Greater Bay Area, and Shenzhen twice a week gives south China cross-border e-commerce a direct link to Europe. Beijing belly capacity serves north China, and freighter capacity toward Guangzhou is arranged by season and volume. Shippers choose the gateway by commodity and destination market, with booking support from Lufthansa Cargo sales offices in Shanghai and Shenzhen and from local forwarders; capacity at each gateway is subject to carrier confirmation on the day of booking.
International air services connecting from China
Lufthansa Cargo's China network is built on three nonstop gateways: Shanghai, Hong Kong and Shenzhen. Toward Europe, cargo is distributed from the Frankfurt FRA hub to major European cities including London, Paris, Amsterdam, Munich, Milan, Madrid and Copenhagen; toward the Middle East, the Shenzhen routing turns at Dubai and connects to Middle East stations; toward Africa, Frankfurt connects to the main African gateways; across the Atlantic, FRA connects to major North and South American cities; and toward Asia, stations such as Taipei, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh and Seoul extend coverage into Southeast and Northeast Asia.
By commodity, electronics, consumer electronics, e-commerce parcels and urgent industrial goods suit the daily Shanghai freighter; southern shippers can use the Shenzhen nonstop to Europe; the seven weekly Hong Kong flights suit frequent replenishment and multi-batch cargo. On the return leg, European auto parts, machinery, pharmaceuticals and premium consumer goods move back to China through Frankfurt. Payload and capacity are subject to carrier confirmation on the day of booking.
On gateway choice, shippers in east China can take the daily Shanghai Pudong freighter, whose stable schedule suits weekly allocations; Greater Bay Area shippers can use the seven weekly Hong Kong flights for frequent multi-batch shipping; south China cross-border e-commerce and time-critical cargo can fly Shenzhen twice a week nonstop to Frankfurt. Cargo from second-tier Chinese cities can be consolidated domestically into the three gateways, and same-day distribution at Frankfurt supports delivery to several European points. When peak capacity is tight, AeroLogic joint-venture capacity and China-bound flights add flexibility, subject to carrier confirmation on the day of booking.
On the return and two-way flow, the Frankfurt hub gathers cargo from every European industrial region, and Chinese importers can move back auto parts, machinery and premium consumer goods on Lufthansa Cargo. Flows matched in both directions keep utilisation on the China flights steady, which gives Chinese shippers more balanced rates and capacity. Peak-season extra flights and AeroLogic capacity add flexibility for shippers in east and south China, subject to carrier notices.
| Connection direction | Main destinations | What it means for Chinese shippers |
|---|---|---|
| European hub deconsolidation and distribution | Frankfurt FRA, extending to London, Paris, Munich, Milan and other European cities | Nonstop freighters from Shanghai and Hong Kong to Frankfurt, connecting across Europe the same or next day |
| Middle East loop connection | Dubai DWC and Middle East stations | The Shenzhen route is flown as a loop, covering export flows from south China toward the Middle East |
| Transatlantic and Africa | Main North and South American gateways and African stations | Connections at the Frankfurt hub to transoceanic and African markets give wide network coverage |
| Asian joint-venture network | Taipei, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, Seoul and others | A joint venture with Cathay Pacific gives smooth regional connections within Asia |
The table summarises the main directions from public sources. Times are local. Actual schedules vary with the season and are subject to carrier confirmation on the day of booking.
Route network from the Chinese gateways to the Frankfurt hub
The diagram shows, from a Eurasian perspective, the freighter routes between the Chinese nonstop gateways and the Frankfurt FRA hub. The yellow arcs are nonstop mainlines and the white arcs are European distribution and extension toward the Middle East and across the Atlantic; actual stations and frequency are subject to carrier confirmation on the day.
Freight advantages for Chinese shippers
Density at the Frankfurt hub
Frankfurt is Europe's core cargo hub and Lufthansa Cargo runs a dense schedule there, so Chinese cargo can connect the same or next day to major European cities and to transoceanic routes.
Daily freighter from Shanghai
A freighter leaves Shanghai Pudong for Frankfurt every day on a stable schedule with predictable capacity, which makes it the frequent choice for east China shippers exporting to Europe and suits a regular shipping rhythm.
Time-critical and pharmaceutical products
The time:matters expedited service and the CoolCenter pharmaceutical cold chain are mature product lines, so Chinese pharmaceutical and time-critical cargo can use temperature-controlled containers and time-definite delivery.
The Shenzhen loop
Twice a week, Frankfurt–Shenzhen–Dubai is flown as a loop, so southern shippers can ship locally and cover export flows toward the Middle East at the same time.
Joint-venture capacity
AeroLogic, the joint venture with DHL, operates a Boeing 777F fleet with shared intercontinental mainline capacity, which adds space flexibility on Lufthansa Cargo's China routes in the peak season.
Return cargo from Europe
The return leg is mainly auto components, machinery, pharmaceuticals and premium consumer goods, matched against the Chinese export flow, so return utilisation is high and the round trip works economically.
Together these advantages make up what Lufthansa Cargo offers a Chinese shipper: dense frequency at Frankfurt for distribution across Europe, three Chinese gateways for flows from east and south China, time-critical and pharmaceutical products for demanding commodities, and joint-venture capacity for peak-season flexibility. A shipper can choose the gateway and the capacity combination that fits the commodity and the destination market after assessment by Goodhope Freight.
Aircraft types and the freighter fleet
Lufthansa Cargo's own freighter fleet is a two-type combination, the Boeing 777F and the Airbus A321F. The 777F carries about 103 tonnes and is the intercontinental mainline aircraft on the nonstop China to Frankfurt routes; the A321F is a medium narrowbody freighter serving European regional mainlines; and the AeroLogic joint venture's 777F fleet shares intercontinental capacity. The MD-11F was fully retired in October 2021, taking the fleet into the two-type era.
On loading, intercontinental mainlines are palletised in ULDs, and the 777F main deck and lower hold take several ULD types, with over-length cargo loaded subject to the cabin layout. The A321F serves European regional routes and suits express and small to medium lots. Accurate pieces, weight and dimensions at the booking stage make the loading plan more certain and speed up departure; heavy, oversize and irregular pieces must be declared in advance so that we and the carrier can confirm the loading conditions. Actual payload is subject to carrier confirmation on the day of booking.
Boeing 777F
The intercontinental mainline type, carrying about 103 tonnes on the nonstop Shanghai, Hong Kong and Shenzhen to Frankfurt routes, with balanced fuel efficiency and range.
Airbus A321F
A medium narrowbody freighter mainly serving European regional mainlines, combining trunk and feeder with the widebody fleet and suited to regional express and time-critical cargo.
Boeing 777F (AeroLogic)
The joint venture operates a Boeing 777F fleet sharing intercontinental mainline capacity with Lufthansa Cargo, adding space flexibility in the peak season and on China routes.
McDonnell Douglas MD-11F (retired)
Once Lufthansa Cargo's main freighter, fully retired on 17 October 2021, completing the fleet transition to the Boeing 777F and Airbus A321F.
Aircraft capacity figures are compiled from manufacturers' and airlines' public data. Actual payload is subject to carrier confirmation on the day of booking.
Airports served in China and schedule connections
Lufthansa Cargo operates three nonstop gateways in China. The frequencies below are a reference compiled from public sources, in local time; actual schedules vary by season and the carrier's confirmation on the day of booking applies.
| China origin ports | Connecting points | Capacity type | Indicative schedule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shanghai Pudong PVG | Frankfurt FRA | Boeing 777F freighter | Flown daily; times are local and schedules adjust with the season, subject to carrier confirmation on the day of booking |
| Hong Kong HKG | Frankfurt FRA | Boeing 777F freighter | seven flights a week, subject to carrier confirmation |
| Shenzhen SZX | Frankfurt FRA (via Dubai DWC) | Boeing 777F freighter | two flights a week flown as a loop, first flight in July 2024; subject to carrier confirmation |
| Beijing PEK / Guangzhou CAN | Frankfurt FRA | passenger belly capacity / freighter | Beijing connects on belly capacity; no public schedule is available for the Guangzhou freighter, so carrier confirmation applies |
The airline has sales offices in Shanghai and Shenzhen, and capacity and schedules are subject to our confirmation on the day of booking.
Cargo booking and connection path in China
Submit shipping instructions
The shipper gives Goodhope Freight the origin gateway, the destination city in Europe or the Middle East, the commodity, pieces, weight and dimensions and the transit time required, and we select the nonstop gateway and routing on that basis.
Lock nonstop capacity
We book capacity on the nonstop Shanghai, Hong Kong or Shenzhen to Frankfurt service through Lufthansa Cargo's China sales offices or its local forwarders, confirming the rate and the ULD plan.
Departure and distribution at Frankfurt
After handover, cargo is distributed from the FRA hub to European destinations on the connection plan, or via Dubai to Middle East stations, with transit arranged on the flights of the day.
Return cargo and transit time management
European auto parts, pharmaceuticals and premium consumer goods can be booked back through Frankfurt to Chinese gateways, and time-critical cargo can use the time:matters product.
During booking, over-weight or oversize pieces, temperature-controlled cargo and sensitive goods have to be declared in advance so that we can confirm the loading conditions and the ULD type needed. Flight times are local; actual schedules vary by season and the carrier's confirmation on the day of booking applies. Before booking we give the shipper a list of rates, capacity and loading conditions, and after confirmation we complete the booking and the shipping arrangement. Urgent cargo can be booked on the time:matters service, subject to carrier approval.
Specialist freight services from China
time:matters expedited service.For time-critical cargo between China and Europe it offers time-definite and same-day delivery, used for aircraft spares, medical devices and urgent documents, and Chinese shippers can book to an hourly window.
CoolCenter pharmaceutical cold chain.The Frankfurt hub has a pharmaceutical cold-chain handling centre with temperature-controlled containers and full temperature monitoring, so Chinese pharmaceutical companies moving vaccines, reagents and active ingredients in and out can use the cold-chain process.
Asian joint venture with Cathay Pacific.Lufthansa Cargo and Cathay Pacific run a joint venture toward Asia, so shippers in south and east China reach more destination markets through Asian hubs, with smoother connections.
Shenzhen cross-border e-commerce channel.The Shenzhen route opened in July 2024 with two flights a week nonstop to Frankfurt, giving south China cross-border e-commerce and time-critical cargo a direct capacity option to Europe.
Sales offices in China.Lufthansa Cargo has a sales office in Shanghai and a sales representative in Shenzhen; Chinese shippers can obtain rates and capacity from the local offices, and we can also make the connection.
Dangerous goods and special cargo.Dangerous goods, lithium batteries, live animals and oversize pieces have to be declared in advance under the carrier's rules, with Goodhope Freight and Lufthansa Cargo jointly confirming loadability and packing requirements.
Automotive and industrial supply chains.Chinese exports of auto parts and European return machinery make up a two-way flow, and the 777F ULD loading plus Frankfurt distribution support the steady rhythm of automotive supply chains.
Time-critical e-commerce and express.Seven weekly Hong Kong flights and the daily Shanghai service give e-commerce and express cargo high-frequency capacity, and the time:matters time-definite product meets hourly requirements, which suits urgent replenishment and spares.
Distribution and trucking at the Frankfurt hub.The Frankfurt hub connects the main European industrial regions and consumer markets; after arrival, cargo reaches European destinations by connecting flight or truck, so a multi-point delivery can be completed at the hub in one step.
China contact
Lufthansa Cargo has sales offices in China: the Shanghai office is at 300 Nanjing East Road and there is a sales representative in Shenzhen, with addresses and telephone numbers as last published on the website. Cargo booking and shipment enquiries can go through lufthansa-cargo.com or its local agent in China.
Goodhope Logistics (China) Limited (Goodhope Freight), website https://goodhope86.com, handles air freight from the main Chinese gateways to Germany and other European countries, providing nonstop capacity booking, transit at the Frankfurt hub, European distribution and return consolidation as one operation, and can help Chinese shippers reach Lufthansa Cargo's China sales offices for current capacity and schedules.