Lufthansa Cargo extends its agreement with IATA for CargoIS

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has confirmed that Germany freight carrier Lufthansa Cargo has renewed its agreement to use the trade body’s CargoIS platform.

The new deal extends a partnership between the two that dates back more than a decade.

IATA’s CargoIS provides comprehensive market intelligence relating to the air cargo industry.

The platform takes in a network of over 80,000 unique city-to-city trade lanes, offering stakeholders – including airlines, freight forwarders, airports and shippers – insights into market trends.

CargoIS is designed to transform huge datasets into actionable insights, enabling users to navigate the complexities of the air cargo market efficiently, fostering competitive advantage and operational excellence.

Ashwin Bhat, chief executive of Lufthansa Cargo, noted that the market intelligence CargoIS has provided the carrier with over the years has “played a key role in shaping our strategic planning and improving our operational efficiency”.

He continued: “This extended collaboration not only helps us to refine our shipping strategies but also ensures our position at the forefront of the industry, guided by data-driven decision-making.”

Willie Walsh, IATA’s director general and chief executive, said that the deal “highlights the value of IATA’s cargo data products and trust in our data intelligence solutions.

“CargoIS helps our customers to make better strategic decisions. Continuing and expanding our partnership with Lufthansa Cargo underscores the importance of leveraging data-driven insights to enhance efficiency and sustainability in the air cargo industry.”

As part of the new agreement Lufthansa Cargo will also join the IATA CargoIS Direct Data (CDD) contribution programme.

This initiative facilitates the collective sharing of anonymised data among participating airlines.

“It empowers stakeholders to benchmark performance, identify industry trends, and make well-informed decisions within the competitive air cargo sector,” IATA considers.

It draws on transactions from more than 230 carriers, providing comprehensive insights into commodities transported and services rendered.

In other IATA news, speaking at the WCS event in Hong Kong today (12 March), IATA’s global head of air cargo Brendan Sullivan shared that Lufthansa Cargo had adopted IATA’s ONE Record data standard well before the target date of January 2026 when all IATA member airlines aim to have the ONE Record capability.