Lufthansa Cargo’s added capacity underpins seasonal shipping efforts

Lufthansa Cargo has reinstated its annual capacity boost between Germany and the U.S. with the addition of its Frankfurt (FRA)-New York (JFK) MD-11 route, “exclusively for Deutsche Post [AG], and especially in the service of Santa Claus,” the carrier said today. The service will run until Jan. 3, offering space on the 60-tonne capacity widebody jet during the surge in demand leading up to Christmas.

This year, the route will run seven times, compared to last year’s six, due to “growing parcel volumes,” which is comprised mainly of gifts, e-commerce shipments and Christmas greeting cards.

“There is great demand in the run-up to Christmas for our Airmail/eCommerce product in particular for short-notice, deadline-sensitive shipments,” Dorothea von Boxberg, Lufthansa Cargo executive board member of product and sales, said of the charter service, reiterating the sentiment the carrier expressed last year.

“This trend shows once again how important mail still is for connecting people and companies in different countries,” said Thomas Kling, senior vice president of international operations at Deutsche Post AG.