3.15 meters by 3.72 meters - that's how high and wide the loading flap of a Lufthansa Cargo B777 freighter is and thus open for everything extraordinary, unique and amazing that can be transported around the world in the airline's aircraft. Whether urgent, important or life-saving goods, heavy turbines or tiny fishing worms - the fascination of air freight leaves nothing to be desired in terms of variety. Every seven minutes, an aircraft lands with Lufthansa Cargo freight on board. Over 1,000 trucks travel under a Lufthansa Cargo flight number every day. On average, five living organs are transported for transplants every day. With 18 Boeing 777 freighters, Lufthansa Cargo operates the largest exclusive 777 freighter fleet in the world. With the highest loading capacity of all twin-engine freighters and a range of 9,000 kilometers equivalent to the Frankfurt-Hong Kong route - it is currently the world's most modern and efficient freighter. Lufthansa Cargo's route network covers around 300 destinations in over 100 countries worldwide. Take a look back with us at the most unusual transports in 2024:
Heavyweights on board
The General Electric aircraft turbine that Lufthansa Cargo transported from Beijing to Frankfurt in November 2024 was over 5 meters long, 3 meters high and weighed 12 tons. As always, fast transportation was very important in order to equip an aircraft with the engine and avoid long ground times. This is because flight cancellations or delays can result in high follow-up costs. The journey of the aircraft turbine with Lufthansa Cargo started at Beijing Capital International Airport. The efficient handling of this unusually large and sensitive piece of cargo required a great deal of organization. Only one hour was available for the entire loading of the Boeing 777 freighter and, in addition to the engine, further freight had to be loaded beforehand. Everything had to be done quickly and safely at the same time. This was the task of specially trained Lufthansa Cargo loadmasters for "AC Engine Movements", who fly around the globe to accompany special transports during loading and unloading and guarantee a smooth process. Due to the dimensions of the General Electric aircraft turbine and the limited space in the cargo compartment, millimeter work and careful coordination were required, especially when loading through the cargo door. Around 50 tension belts secured the turbine directly to the aircraft structure during the flight in order to protect the multi-million turbine from vibrations and movements and ultimately to fly it safely to its destination.
Of big cats, pygmy hippos and rare pandas
But Lufthansa Cargo is not only able to transport heavy machines. In 2024 alone, the Lufthansa Cargo Animal Lounge hosted more than 80 million animals, including 2,800 horses, 14,000 pets and 200 zoo animals. Among these, Lufthansa Cargo had the honor of accompanying two Siberian tigers on their way to freedom last year. The two noble big cats were flown from Frankfurt to Almaty on a Lufthansa Cargo freighter in September 2024 to be released into the wild in Kazakhstan - all under the patronage of the WWF, which accompanied the tigers during their acclimatization in the national park.
Other unusual passengers included the zoo-to-zoo transport of two pygmy hippos, which were transported from Madrid, Spain, to Frankfurt and then on to Mumbai, India, in April last year. Special wooden boxes with hay and water buckets were used to ensure that the pair of hippos felt comfortable, and the zookeepers also had to comply with special dietary requirements.
The rarest animal that Lufthansa Cargo hosted last year was the highly endangered red panda, which has gained some fame since the Disney film "Red". This zoo-to-zoo transport in May 2024 also required some special features. The nocturnal animal was housed in a separate climate chamber, which offered the panda pleasant temperatures and sufficient peace and quiet. In addition, a special box with two levels for lying down was provided, giving the agile climber plenty of space.
Whether pets or exotic animals: Animals always travel comfortably and with little stress with Lufthansa - thanks to species-appropriate accommodation and care along the entire transport route, fast transit times and 24/7 care by trained animal keepers in the Frankfurt Animal Lounge. Lufthansa Cargo always transports live animals with the highest priority and fast transport times.
Masterpieces on a journey
In March 2024, a very special exhibition travelled from Chicago, USA, to Frankfurt: the hip hop exhibition THE CULTURE was organized by the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Saint Louis Art Museum and presented in cooperation with the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt. The Lufthansa Cargo B777F transported a total of 62 packages and 14,640 kg of art from Chicago, the logistical heart of the USA, to the home airport of Frankfurt in the heart of Europe. The special thing about this was that the CO₂ emissions during transportation were reduced with the "Sustainable Choice" add-on service through the use of sustainable aviation fuel, combined with a contribution to high-quality climate protection projects. The art was thus transported around the world in a more sustainable way. However, transportation of this size is not standard. The additional challenge with art is that it involves the transportation of unique, irreplaceable cultural assets. The works of art must therefore be handled and protected with the utmost care. The ARTcube at the Lufthansa Cargo Center in Frankfurt is the perfect storage location for this. It is specially tailored to the climatic and security requirements. After the flight, the works of art spent several days in the ARTcube at the Lufthansa Cargo Center in Frankfurt until they were transported to the Schirn Kunsthalle, where they then made their grand appearance.
The Berggruen exhibition, an important art collection with works by Picasso, Klee, Giacometti and Matisse, was a guest on board Lufthansa Cargo on its world tour in August 2024. The collection once belonged to Heinz Berggruen, one of the most important art dealers and collectors of the 20th century. After his death in 2007, his family made further works available to the Berggruen Museum in Berlin on permanent loan and continued to support the museum. The museum has been undergoing extensive renovations since September 2022. A large part of the exhibition has been traveling since then - the exhibition flew from Germany to Japan and then from Beijing back to Europe with Lufthansa Cargo. A total of 91 works of art in 42 bespoke climate-controlled crates were transported on five flights. The largest works found space on board the B777 freighter. Other works of art flew in the bellies of Lufthansa passenger aircraft from Beijing. The transport benefited from Lufthansa Cargo's extensive network options and experienced handling of these irretrievable assets.
Life-saving vaccinations
The Mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and surrounding countries shows the unequal access to vaccines worldwide. This made the successful Lufthansa Cargo transport of 100,000 Mpox vaccines from Brussels to Kinshasa in mid-November 2024 with SN357 all the more important - a mission made possible by seamless collaboration with key stakeholders. The arrival of the shipment in Kinshasa marked an important step towards containing the Mpox outbreak and protecting public health in the region. This shipment was the result of a joint effort involving the EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid, the German Embassy in Brussels, Brussels Airport, Swissport and World Courier and underlines Lufthansa Cargo's commitment to global health and its role in supporting critical humanitarian relief efforts.
