Lufthansa Cargo has announced a substantial extension of its cooperation with ITA Airways, marking a new milestone in the Lufthansa Cargo ITA Airways Partnership. Starting on September 1, 2025, Lufthansa Cargo will begin selling and managing ITA Airways’ belly cargo space on three important flights from Asia to Rome-Fiumicino (FCO): Delhi (DEL), Tokyo-Haneda (HND), and Bangkok (BKK). The Lufthansa Cargo air waybill (AWB) will now reflect these capabilities.
This news follows the successful start of their relationship in May 2025, when Lufthansa Cargo took over handling ITA Airways’ cargo from South America to Rome. In June, the first operational flights under this agreement took place.
“We are proud to offer our customers additional capacity from Asia to Europe with these three routes,” said Anand Kulkarni, Head of Global Markets at Lufthansa Cargo. “Our newest hub in Rome plays a pivotal role in enabling faster and more reliable global connections, aligning with our mission of enabling global business.”
Rome-Fiumicino is a key hub in the Lufthansa Cargo network, giving customers direct access to a greater range of destinations in Europe and throughout the world. The extension will not only make it easier for people and goods to travel from Asia to Europe, but it will also ensure that time-sensitive cargo arrives on time.
The Lufthansa Cargo ITA Airways Partnership is likely to expand across all of ITA Airways’ continental and transcontinental routes, pending regulatory approval. Once fully implemented, Lufthansa Cargo’s global bellyhold capacity will increase by over 20%, significantly enhancing its position in the international airfreight market.
This milestone comes after the Lufthansa Group officially acquired a 41% stake in ITA Airways, a transaction completed in July 2025. The move strengthens both the business and operational ties between the two airlines.
