FRANKFURT: March 18, 2019. Lufthansa Cargo has reported a 7.0 percent increase in revenue to €2.7 billion in 2018 and a 2.0 percent rise in adjusted EBIT to €268 million year-on-year.

Capacity rose 5.0 percent with the addition of more B777 freighter space; revenue per tonne-kilometre flown increased one percent; the overall load factor fell 3.2 percent and yield rose 6.7 percent overall and most strongly in Asia/Pacific and Middle East/Africa regions.

With digitalisation a key pillar of the company’s strategic future, current focal points include the renewal of the IT infrastructure and the ongoing digitalisation of customer interfaces, with the aim of networking the company digitally with all the participants in the transport chain, from booking through to delivery. Currently, almost 75 percent of airwaybills are now produced electronically.

“Our employees have shown full commitment and done an amazing job for our customers. The result gives us additional momentum for new investments in the future,” said Peter Gerber, CEO and chairman of the Lufthansa Cargo Executive Board.

“We managed to increase our revenue per unit and lower our unit costs last year. We will use the profit to modernize our means of production, which will further enhance our cost efficiency,” added Martin Schmitt, Board member for Finance and Human Resources.

Gerber said he remained “upbeat” about 2019 despite the challenges of low global economic growth currently “exacerbated” by Brexit and trade disputes.