One of the weightiest highlights of 2024 was a shipment weighing 65 tons - one of the heaviest loads Lufthansa Cargo has ever transported. This heavy cargo for the automotive industry flew from Viracopos, Brazil, to Frankfurt and then on to Malmö, Sweden, and had to be split over several flights.

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 the 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, other cargo 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 hold, millimeter work and careful coordination were required, especially when loading through the cargo door.

More than 80 million animals transported

In 2024 alone, more than 80 million animals were guests in the Lufthansa Cargo Animal Lounge, 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 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 ultimately 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 follow special dietary requirements.

The rarest animal that Lufthansa Cargo hosted last year was the highly endangered red panda, which has gained some notoriety 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.

Works of art on the road

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 climate protection projects.

However, transportation of this size is not standard. The additional challenge with art is that it involves the transportation of unique, irretrievable 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 specially designed to meet 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 entrance.

Vaccines transported

The Mpox outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and surrounding countries shows the unequal access to vaccines worldwide. All the more important was the successful Lufthansa Cargo transport in mid-November 2024 of 100,000 Mpox vaccines from Brussels to Kinshasa with SN357 - 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 by the European Commission for Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid, the German Embassy in Brussels, Brussels Airport, Swissport and World Courier.