Lufthansa Cargo recently released its trends forecast for 2023, and it's looking pretty optimistic. In a press release published on Wednesday, the cargo carrier announced that it finally foresees a return to normalcy after three tumultuous pandemic years. At the top of the docket are freight capacity, digitization and artificial intelligence, and sustainability. Let's take a closer look.

Freight capacity

Singapore Airlines Boeing 747 Freighter
Photo: Singapore Changi Airport

One of the biggest symptoms of the pandemic was the mass cancellation of passenger flights as a result of safety restrictions imposed by governments and an overnight drop in demand for travel. In addition to making it difficult or impossible for travelers to visit certain countries, this had the unintended consequence of straining the global supply chain, as passenger flights were responsible for carrying half of all air freight at the time. Cargo carriers were forced to prioritize their shipments, resulting in delays that further exacerbated the pandemic situation.

The past few months have seen airlines resuming flights on routes that they used to serve before the pandemic, with demand for some routes even exceeding pre-pandemic levels. As a result, air freight capacity has also increased, giving cargo carriers more flexibility and relieving some of the strain on the global supply chain. Lufthansa Cargo is confident that this trend will continue into 2023.

Digitization and artificial intelligence

Another consequence of the pandemic has been an increased focus on data-driven decision-making and automation. One such manifestation of this is Digitales Testfeld Air Cargo (DTAC), a research project that Lufthansa Cargo is part of that is orchestrated by the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics (IML) for the German Federal Ministry of Transport (BMVI). The project aims to make cargo transport more efficient through the use of digitization and has seen limited success.

Lufthansa Cargo expects that its investment in such ventures will yield a competitive advantage over its counterparts as it heads into 2023.

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Sustainability initiatives

Sustainable aviation fuel in use
Photo: United Airlines

Lufthansa Cargo is committed to promoting sustainability across all facets of its operation as it looks ahead to 2023. The cargo carrier is already making substantial investments in solar technology and replacing fuel-burning equipment with electric alternatives to ensure carbon neutrality on the ground, and it intends to extend such efforts to its fleet in 2023. The airline has also committed to cutting its flight carbon emissions in half by 2030, and it aims to get one step closer to achieving that goal by investing in sustainable fuels as well as less significant but still valuable advancements like equipment optimization and recycling.

The future is looking bright for Lufthansa Cargo as the carrier prepares to head into 2023. Freight capacity is finally on the rise after a turbulent past couple of years, investments in digitization are finally paying off in the form of greater efficiency, and the airline is making great strides toward meeting its sustainability commitments. Only time will tell if 2023 ends up being the spectacle that Lufthansa Cargo is expecting, but other cargo carriers should definitely keep an eye out to see what works for the airline and what doesn't.