Cargolux

What Cargolux does

Cargolux Airlines International S.A. is Europe's largest all-cargo airline, founded in 1970 in Luxembourg and privately held by a shareholder group led by Luxair (35.10%), HNCA (35.00%), BCEE (10.90%), SNCI (10.67%), and the Luxembourg State (8.32%). The company operates a 30-aircraft all-Boeing 747 freighter fleet (747-8F and 747-400), with 10 Boeing 777-8F on order, and is the only operator of the 747-8F and the only carrier with a nose door loading capability, enabling transport of cargo that competitors cannot accommodate. Its eight branded CV product lines (CV classic, alive, precious, jumbo, pharma, power, hazmat, fresh) are layered with four priority service tiers (Saver, Standard, Select, Select+) and are supported by a 90+ destination scheduled network, a 250+ destination trucking network, third-party 747 maintenance, and ground handling via subsidiary Luxcargo Handling.

Cargolux generates revenue through transaction-based freight charges (higher of actual or volumetric weight plus fuel and security surcharges and product-specific fees), charter services for project and e-commerce cargo, third-party aircraft maintenance, and ground handling. Distribution is hybrid: direct enterprise sales via my.cargolux.com, digital marketplace listings on cargo.one, CargoAi, and WebCargo by Freightos, code-share/interline with Japan Airlines, and trucking partner networks. In FY2025 the company reported $3.4B in revenue and $465M in net profit, ranking 10th in IATA's top 20 international scheduled cargo carriers and holding a four-year streak as Air Cargo News "Best All Cargo Airline."

Recent strategic activity centers on digital transformation (Electronic Flight Folder with Cathay Technologies, June 2026), partnership deepening (JAL code-share from April 2026; SAF agreement with AIT and Microsoft in May 2025), alternative-fuel ground operations (hydrogen trucking trial with Arthur Welter from July 2024), and consolidation of hub ground handling (Luxcargo Handling absorbed Luxair cargo handling in May 2024). The company is also developing its Aquarius Aerial Firefighting subsidiary, with aircraft deployed in southern Spain in 2024.

Name

Cargolux

Legal name

Cargolux Airlines International S.A.

Website

https://cargolux.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Cargolux is Europe's largest all-cargo airline, operating a dedicated Boeing 747 freighter fleet across 90+ scheduled and 250+ trucking destinations. It serves enterprise shippers, freight forwarders, and e-commerce customers with eight specialized CV cargo products and priority service tiers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Air Cargo Services

NAICS

Freight Transportation Arrangement (488510), Specialized Freight Trucking (4842), Support Activities for Transportation (488)

SIC

Air Transportation, Scheduled (4512), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)

akta.pro primary industry

Scheduled Air Cargo Airlines (All-Cargo Carriers) (THABAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Heavy-Lift & Outsize Cargo Airlines (THABAEAG), E-commerce Air Cargo Carriers (TLADAAAK), Air Cargo Charter Specialists (On-Demand) (TLADAAAE)

Keywords

• Air cargo services
• Scheduled freighter flights
• Oversized cargo transport
• Pharmaceutical air freight
• Dangerous goods shipping

Headquarters

HQ city

Luxembourg

HQ country

Luxembourg

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Scheduled Freight Services: Core revenue from scheduled all-cargo flight operations using Boeing 747 freighters, charging freight rates based on weight or volume (whichever is higher) plus surcharges for specialized cargo handling.
2. Charter Services: Full and part-charter services for oversized, project, and specialized cargo shipments with bespoke handling requirements, including e-commerce charter flights.
3. Third-party Maintenance Services: 747 line and hangar maintenance services up to and including C Checks provided at Luxembourg maintenance hangar for third-party customers.
4. Trucking and Ground Handling: Extensive trucking network to 250+ destinations and Luxcargo Handling ground handling operations at Luxembourg hub.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Cargolux is Europe's largest all-cargo airline, operating a fleet of Boeing 747-8F and 747-400 freighters to transport specialized cargo across 90+ global destinations with a complementary trucking network to 250+ destinations. The company offers eight distinct cargo product lines (CV classic, CV alive, CV precious, CV jumbo, CV pharma, CV power, CV hazmat, CV fresh) plus charter services, four service priority levels, third-party 747 maintenance, and aerial firefighting through its Aquarius subsidiary.

Product overview

Cargolux is Europe's largest all-cargo airline operating a portfolio of specialized cargo products under the CV brand family. The core product line includes CV classic (general cargo), CV alive (live animals), CV precious (artwork and machinery), CV jumbo (oversized cargo), CV pharma (pharmaceuticals), CV power (energy sector), CV hazmat (dangerous goods), and CV fresh (perishables). These products are complemented by service priority levels (Saver, Standard, Select, Select+) that determine booking priority and handling. The airline operates scheduled and charter all-cargo flights using an all-Boeing 747 freighter fleet, supported by an extensive global trucking network covering over 250 destinations. Additional services include third-party aircraft maintenance, flight operations support, and Aquarius Aerial Firefighting subsidiary operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CV classic: General cargo transportation service for everyday cargo shipments
• CV alive
• CV precious
• CV jumbo
• CV pharma
• CV power
• CV hazmat
• CV fresh

Products and services

• CV classic General cargo shipping service for everyday cargo transportation. Covers standard palletizable and stackable freight that does not require special handling.
• CV alive Live animal transportation service for domesticated and exotic species across the world, backed by Cargolux's specialized animal handling expertise.
• CV precious Specialized shipping for artwork and high precision machinery, providing expert handling for valuable and delicate items requiring precision and care.
• CV jumbo Oversized cargo transportation service for commodities of all shapes and sizes, leveraging the unique Boeing 747 nose door loading capability for large or uniquely dimensioned shipments.
• CV pharma Pharmaceutical products transportation service with specialized handling for temperature-sensitive and regulated healthcare cargo.
• CV power Specialized transportation service for the power generation and energy sectors, including heavy industrial equipment and machinery.
• CV hazmat Dangerous goods transportation service providing compliant global movement of hazardous materials in line with international regulations.
• CV fresh Perishable goods transportation service using sophisticated equipment and skilled personnel to deliver fresh products in mint condition globally.
• Charter Services Full and part-charter air freight services using the all-747 freighter fleet, offering tailor-made logistics solutions for oversized, project, and specialized cargo transportation including e-commerce charter flights.
• Trucking Network Solid network of trucking contractors to move valuable and time-sensitive commodities. Operates an extensive global trucking network covering more than 250 destinations to complement air freight services.
• Maintenance Services Third-party maintenance services at Cargolux's modern two-bay maintenance hangar in Luxembourg. Specialized in 747 line and hangar maintenance up to and including C Checks.
• Aquarius Aerial Firefighting Cargolux subsidiary providing aerial firefighting services, deploying aircraft for firefighting missions with current operations based in Southern Spain.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Cathay TechnologiescoreTechnology or Integration · 15 June 2026Partnership to introduce Electronic Flight Folder (EFF) solution across flight operations. Digitizes and centralizes critical flight information including flight plans, load sheets, and fuel data. Includes Ops Chat real-time communication tool for crew-ground coordination.
• Japan Airlines (JAL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2026Code-sharing operations on Narita-Luxembourg route and interline transportation on Narita-Chicago route starting April 1, 2026. Builds on 30+ years of cooperation dating back to 1994. Connects Luxembourg (major European cargo hub) with Narita Airport (Asia's gateway) creating stable network spanning Asia, Europe, and North America.
• AIT Worldwide LogisticscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2025Largest SAF deal in Cargolux history with AIT and Microsoft. Resulting in 66,000 tonnes CO2e savings over three years (2025-2027) for Microsoft Cloud Logistics server rack transportation. Utilizes RSB Registry for transparent SAF tracking.
• MicrosoftcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 May 2025End customer for historic SAF partnership with Cargolux and AIT Worldwide Logistics for transportation of Microsoft Cloud Logistics server racks using sustainable aviation fuel.
• Valero Marketing & Supply Company / Diamond Green Diesel LLCsupportingOthers · 20 May 2025SAF producer and supplier for Cargolux-AIT-Microsoft partnership. Produces SAF from used cooking oil and tallow without palm oil, certified under EU/CORSIA standards.
• Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB)supportingOthers · 20 May 2025Registry used for transparent and credible process of tracking and retiring SAF claims for the AIT-Microsoft partnership.
• Arthur WeltersupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 July 2024Two-year trial collaboration on hydrogen-powered trucking. Arthur Welter vehicle operates five times weekly between Luxembourg and Frankfurt. Vehicle has approximately 400km range and is specially adapted for air cargo requirements.
• LuxairsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2024Luxcargo Handling (LCH) took over Luxair's cargo ground handling activities at Luxembourg airport on May 1, 2024. LCH aims to ensure seamless service with planned investments in technology and infrastructure.
• Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in TRANSCEND project (Transport Resilience Against cyber and Non-Cyber Events to prevent Network Disruption). Creates platform centralizing information, guidelines, and best practices to share knowledge and streamline logistics sector processes.
• Aquarius Aerial Firefighting (AFF)supportingOthersSubsidiary of Cargolux Group providing aerial firefighting services. Deployed first mission in Summer 2024 with three aircraft based in southern Spain supporting Spanish government.
• DeugrosupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject cargo partner for complex charter shipments including Freeport LNG terminal equipment transport from Thailand to USA requiring 4 charter flights from Pattaya.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Atlas Air Worldwide: Operator of one of the world's largest 747 freighter fleets under ACMI/leasing arrangements, directly competing with Cargolux on outsourced all-cargo lift for forwarders and integrators worldwide.
• Polar Air Cargo: All-cargo carrier operating 747-8F and 777F freighters on scheduled transpacific routes; a near-clone of Cargolux's scheduled all-cargo model serving global forwarders.
• AirBridgeCargo: Russian-headquartered all-cargo carrier with a 747 freighter fleet; direct competitor to Cargolux on Europe–Asia routes prior to operating suspensions.

Broad incumbents

• Cathay Cargo: Cargo arm of Cathay Pacific with dedicated 747-8F freighters, competing with Cargolux on Hong Kong–anchored Asia-Europe and transpacific capacity.
• Korean Air Cargo: Cargo arm of Korean Air, operating dedicated freighters including 747-8F and 777F, competing with Cargolux on transpacific and intra-Asia cargo routes.
• Qatar Airways Cargo: Qatar Airways' dedicated cargo division with a fleet of 747-8F and 777 freighters via Doha hub, competing head-to-head with Cargolux on Europe–Asia long-haul cargo.
• Lufthansa Cargo: Dedicated air freight subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group with 777F freighters and belly-cargo capacity, Europe's largest direct competitor to Cargolux on intra-Europe and transatlantic cargo.
• Emirates SkyCargo: Cargo division of Emirates operating one of the world's largest 777F fleets through Dubai hub, overlapping with Cargolux on Europe–Asia and Asia–Middle East trade lanes.
• FedEx Express: World's largest express carrier with its own 777F and 767F fleet; competes with Cargolux for time-sensitive international air freight, particularly e-commerce and IT/logistics shipments.
• DHL Aviation: Deutsche Post DHL Group's air express arm operating a fleet of dedicated freighters; overlaps with Cargolux on international time-definite shipments and integrator-style air cargo.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Cargolux_Intl
• Facebookfacebook.com/CargoluxAirlines
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cargolux-airlines

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cargolux