Unprecedented volumes force Lufthansa Cargo to add additional seasonal flights

Lufthansa Cargo has temporarily expanded its freight capacity for Deutsche Post AG, in response to the enormous volume of Christmas mail and parcels between Germany and the United States. From mid-November until Dec. 19, Lufthansa Cargo is operating an MD-11 each Monday on the Frankfurt – New York / JFK – Frankfurt route.

That adds up to six additional Atlantic crossings in each direction – exclusively for Deutsche Post, and “especially in the service of Santa Claus,” the carrier said. While organized for Deutsche Post, Lufthansa Cargo noted that the additional capacity supported small and medium-sized companies and e-commerce platforms in Germany.

“In the six weeks before Christmas in particular, our airmail and e-commerce product is in great demand for packages sent on short notice and deadline-sensitive shipments,” said Alexis von Hoensbroech, chief product and sales officer at Lufthansa Cargo.

Von Hoensbroech explained that in recent years, additional volumes had required Lufthansa Cargo to increase its capacity for its partner Deutsche Post AG. “However, 2017 is a special situation, as we have never before organized so much additional cargo space on such short notice,” he said.

Lufthansa Cargo acknowledged the high cost of organizing these additional flights, but Hoensbroech stressed that “many gifts will only manage to make it under the tree on time thanks to these extra flights.”