Lufthansa Cargo: Sustainable technology, strong partnership

What began with initial tests and a lot of pioneering spirit is now a long-standing success story: Lufthansa Cargo and Mobile Easykey have been working closely together for over 30 years – and show how practical further development, technological consistency and sustainable thinking work in intralogistics. A look back at lived innovation, trust and technology that grows with the challenges.

A dark gray box lies on the table in the large meeting room in Building 240 at the Lufthansa base at Frankfurt Airport. Unspectacular at first glance – but if you listen to those present, you will find out: This robust box stands for over 30 years of collaboration, technological development and a partnership that focuses on reliability, longevity and sustainability. It is a Mobile Easykey module – compact, inconspicuous and still fully functional after more than ten years of daily use. Today, it is being converted from a decommissioned forklift to a new vehicle. Everyday life at Lufthansa Cargo – and an example of how sustainably they think here.

Three decades of active collaboration

The story of Mobile Easykey at Lufthansa Cargo begins at a time when digitalization was still a promise for the future. “I was there right from the start,” recalls Thomas Müller, who has been in charge of IT for automated warehouse technology at the Frankfurt site for over 30 years. Back then, the first Mobile Easykey components were tested – access control for forklifts, seemingly simple technology, great effect.

Today, what was once hardware has become a state-of-the-art, software-supported fleet management system. The module has been jointly developed over the years for the purposes at Frankfurt Airport – not theoretically, but practically, with the know-how of the employees on site. Müller is particularly proud of his influence on the compact design of today’s modules: “There used to be several individual parts scattered around the vehicle. At some point, I said: this has to be slimmer and more robust – and that’s exactly what we’ve achieved.”

From bicycle to integrated system

The beginnings were pragmatic – and sporty: “Back then, I rode my bicycle from forklift to forklift and installed software updates,” says Müller with a grin. Today, the processes run fully integrated via Lufthansa Cargo’s IT infrastructure. In addition to the 2,150 or so service trucks on the road and the company’s own 22 or so aircraft in the air, the forklifts in the warehouse are also part of a sophisticated system – with Mobile Easykey as a compact but indispensable component for safety and efficiency.

Sustainability that begins in everyday life

For Lufthansa Cargo, sustainability does not begin with compensation programs, but in daily operations – with durable technology and well thought-out investments. “We buy our vehicles instead of leasing them for a short time,” explains Peter Schneider, who has been responsible for the fleet – or as his colleagues affectionately call him: “Master of Stapler” – for three decades. Some of the vehicles have up to 30,000 operating hours over a period of up to 15 years. The Mobile Easykey modules follow this path – reliable, robust and, in case of doubt, quickly convertible from an old machine to a new one.

The first generation of Mobile Easykey modules was in use for over ten years – 250 units were installed at the time, an investment that is still paying off today. An example of how durable technology conserves resources and reduces costs at the same time: damage caused by improper handling or unauthorized driving has been demonstrably reduced by up to 50 percent thanks to access control.

A growing partnership

What Lufthansa Cargo and Mobile Easykey have in common is much more than a traditional service provider relationship. It is a partnership characterized by mutual trust, short distances and joint development. “Lufthansa Cargo does not think in short-term cycles – this is also reflected in the cooperation with us. Quality that lasts is the benchmark for both sides – in concrete terms, this means technology that runs reliably for many years and still offers scope for modernization,” says Norman Seib, Sales Director at Mobile Easykey. Topics such as integration into the company’s own software or the targeted use of the MEK CO2 calculator for Lufthansa Cargo are also to be further developed and customized in a participatory manner in the future. 

Sustainability as a corporate principle

Lufthansa Cargo’s philosophy goes far beyond intralogistics. The company has committed itself to actively supporting the United Nations’ global sustainability goals. By 2030, concrete contributions to five selected “Sustainable Development Goals” are to be visibly implemented – from responsible business practices to innovative, resource-saving technologies. Fleet management with Mobile Easykey is an important building block for achieving these goals in day-to-day operations.

Facts and figures

Lufthansa Cargo is the cargo airline of the Lufthansa Group and, with over 4,250 employees worldwide, is one of the leading companies in the industry. In 2024, the company transported more than eight billion freight tonne-kilometers. Around 350 destinations in 100 countries are supplied. The state-of-the-art infrastructure at the Frankfurt site – including the Cargo Center and an efficient vehicle fleet – ensures that enormous volumes of goods are moved safely and sustainably every day