- Strategic Investment Supports Growth Strategy
- Greater Capacity and Flexibility for Cargo Handling in the Home Market
In the 100th anniversary year since the founding of the first Lufthansa its freight subsidiary, Lufthansa Cargo, is setting the course for sustainable growth in the coming decades and positioning the company for a successful future. To this end Lufthansa Cargo signed an agreement last Monday, 7 September 2026, to acquire 100% of LUG aircargo handling GmbH. The transaction is one of the key pillars of Lufthansa Cargo’s growth strategy and is intended to create the infrastructural foundation for future profitable growth and further strengthen the company’s competitiveness. With the planned acquisition, Lufthansa Cargo will gain immediately available, additional handling capacity within Germany. With that, the company’s existing ground handling infrastructure, which is currently undergoing a fundamental modernization as part of the LCCevo program with a total investment of around 600 million Euros, will be complemented. This will enable the company to support future growth while continuing to provide high-quality and reliable services to its customers. The transaction will not result in any changes for the customers of either company, as LUG aircargo handling GmbH will continue to operate independently in the market following its acquisition by Lufthansa Cargo, preserving its established structures and customer relationships. The completion of the transaction is subject to the necessary antitrust and regulatory approvals.
“In an increasingly volatile market environment, we want to become more flexible, more efficient, and more resilient for our customers. That is why we are making targeted investments in our infrastructure in our home market in Germany to set the course to provide an even better offering for our customers and achieve profitable growth — this is a win-win situation for both companies. We will continue to stand for ‘Enabling Global Business’ for Germany as an export nation and across our entire global network,” says Frank Bauer, Chief Operating Officer of Lufthansa Cargo.
LUG aircargo handling GmbH, which currently belongs to the Dettmer Group, is an established air cargo handler with many years of experience in handling a wide variety of cargo segments and approximately 400 employees. The company has approximately 50,000 m² of covered warehouse space in Germany, as well as an additional 18,000 m² of office and infrastructure space. LUG aircargo handling GmbH brings over 60 years of experience in air cargo handling to the table and counts major international airlines among its customers. The seller, the Dettmer Group, welcomes the planned transaction and believes the company is well-positioned for further growth under Lufthansa Cargo’s ownership.
