With the start of the winter flight schedule on 26 October 2025, Lufthansa Cargo and ITA Airways have further expanded their cooperation. Freight shipments are now also transported under Lufthansa Cargo's own 020-AWB number on flights departing from Rome–Fiumicino Airport.
In the last two weeks, more than 1,000 tons of freight have already been transported in the cargo hold of ITA Airways' passenger aircraft, it is said. Connections to and from the USA and Canada, however, are temporarily excluded until regulatory approvals have been obtained.
Growth of 20 percent
By adding more routes from Rome, the air cargo
carrier aims to increase its capacity for belly cargo by around 20 percent in the long term, according to its own statements. Rome-Fiumicino will thus become, alongside Frankfurt, Munich, Vienna and Brussels, the fifth European hub.
Customers benefit from expanded routing options and greater flexibility in the intercontinental network, it says. Thus, up to 30 additional weekly freight connections to South America with the airports Buenos Aires EZE, Rio de Janeiro GIG and São Paulo GRU are available, and up to 21 additional flights per week to Asia with Bangkok BKK, New Delhi DEL and Tokyo-Haneda HND.
From
Mauritius to Cairo
At the same time, seasonal connections from Rome to Mauritius (MRU) and Malé (MLE) would be offered. Thus, up to 71 weekly connections to and from North Africa with Algiers ALG, Cairo CAI, Accra ACC, Dakar DSS and Tunis TUN would be possible, as well as to the Middle East with Dubai DXB and Riyadh RUH.
Ashwin Bhat, Chief Executive Officer of Lufthansa Cargo:
“The first cargo services from Lufthansa Cargo out of Rome are an important milestone in expanding our global network for our customers. Our customers benefit not only from many new freight
connections around the world, but also from a strong hub in Southern Europe. With this, we have the broadest network in Europe and, once again, underline our goal of offering even better transport solutions to our customers — in line with our mission statement ‘Enabling Global Business.’”
The collaboration between ITA Airways and Lufthansa Cargo emerged with the involvement of the Lufthansa Group in the Italian airline. Since June 2025, the airfreight company has gradually marketed ITA Airways' freight capacity on various routes. The aim is to further strengthen its own network and respond flexibly to changing market
