Lufthansa Cargo will keep flying its Boeing 777F freighters on three European routes from Frankfurt this winter, turning what began as short-term rotations into regular scheduled services. Flights to Larnaca in Cyprus, Istanbul in Turkey and Stavanger in Norway are now being permanently incorporated into the freighter timetable, which takes effect on October 25, 2026.
The move means the German cargo airline is continuing to plan its European freighter network without the Airbus A321 freighters that have been grounded since mid-April. Within Europe, Lufthansa Cargo offers up to three weekly 777F rotations to up to three destinations.
A321F gap filled by widebodies and bellies
According to Lufthansa Cargo, the destinations previously served by its A321Fs will continue to be covered by long-haul freighters or by capacity in the Lufthansa Group's passenger network until a new operator is found for the four short- and medium-haul freighters.
German aviation site aero.de reports, citing group sources, that Lufthansa Cargo had looked for a replacement operator for the A321F flights during the summer 2026 schedule, but that the services were probably not truly profitable in any case. Using the much larger 777F on a few European sectors gives the carrier main-deck capacity on routes where demand justifies it, while the rest of the former A321F network relies on belly space.
88 freighter routes and a stronger Asia focus
The winter 2026/27 programme offers 88 freighter routes to 40 destinations worldwide. Asia-Pacific remains the main focus, with up to 46 weekly freighter rotations serving 17 destinations in the region.
Singapore is being added to the existing Frankfurt–Taipei rotation, creating a new intra-Asia link with additional main-deck capacity within the region. The increased frequency on the transpacific routing from Frankfurt via Ho Chi Minh City and Shanghai to Los Angeles, operating twice a week, continues from the summer schedule. Additional flights from Frankfurt to Taipei and Chengdu will also continue at three per week each, and cargo service between Almaty in Kazakhstan and Frankfurt returns to the network.
In India, Lufthansa Cargo has moved its Mumbai freighter operations from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport to the new Navi Mumbai International Airport, effective October 12, as freighter operations at the existing airport are temporarily suspended during infrastructure upgrades. Sister carrier SWISS WorldCargo is adding Bangalore to its network to and from Zurich.
More frequencies to US gateways
Across the Atlantic, the number of US destinations remains unchanged, with four South American destinations served four times a week and eleven North American destinations. Three US gateways each gain one weekly flight: Dallas/Fort Worth rises to four weekly services, Houston to three and New York JFK to five.
The bellyhold network also expands. Lufthansa Airlines' five-weekly Kuala Lumpur service becomes available to cargo customers, and from November, ITA Airways will add Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic to its long-haul schedule twice a week.
"With the upcoming flight schedule, our network remains one of the strongest to, from, and within Europe," said Ashwin Bhat, chief executive of Lufthansa Cargo. He said approximately 7,500 flights to 350 destinations will remain available through the group's six European hubs of Frankfurt, Munich, Vienna, Brussels, Rome and Zurich.
"True to our mission, 'Enabling Global Business,' we will continue to flexibly align our route network with the needs of our customers and changing business flows," Bhat added. He also described India as one of the strategically important growth markets for Lufthansa Cargo, saying the Navi Mumbai connection ensures customers continue to benefit from reliable capacity and integration into the carrier's global network.
What the 777F brings to short routes
Flying a large twin-engine widebody freighter on routes such as Frankfurt–Stavanger or Frankfurt–Larnaca is unusual, but it lets Lufthansa Cargo serve those markets with its core long-haul fleet rather than a separate narrowbody freighter operation. Until a new operator takes over the parked A321Fs, the 777F rotations give the carrier a way to keep dedicated main-deck capacity on a small number of European routes through the winter.
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