Lufthansa Cargo achieved an operating profit of EUR 100m last year. This represents a significant increase for the cargo airline when compared with the previous year (2013 - EUR 79m). Speaking in Frankfurt, Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO Peter Gerber presented a result for the year that stood out from the competition and was achieved in a challenging market environment. The airline is continuing to systematically implement its "Lufthansa Cargo 2020" future programme. Lufthansa Cargo expects increase profits further in the current year. Although global demand for air freight increased slightly in 2014, traffic at Lufthansa Cargo declined initially and did not fully meet expectations dating from the beginning of the year. However, good business around Christmas contributed to improved demand towards the end of the year. Peter Gerber, who has been Lufthansa Cargo's CEO since 1 May 2014, emphasised the following: "We achieved a good result in challenging conditions. A strong focus on top quality, high-performance products and flexible capacity management played a key role in this, along with Lufthansa Cargo's strength in sales." Looking to the future, the CEO of Europe's leading cargo airline added that "air freight is and will continue to be a growth market". Despite growth rates being slightly lower than in the past, he was confident that air freight will always be the only viable transport option for certain goods. Major exporting regions like Germany are an excellent long-term basis for the air freight sector. "Frankfurt is the epicentre of Europe's industrial sector. Geographically, it's much better positioned than London or Paris. The metropolis is the main European hub for our customers, the major international freight forwarders. They have their main consolidation centres here. It's an ideal location for us to continue investing," emphasised Gerber. Lufthansa Cargo wants to act on the opportunities provided by its location and expand on its market position in Europe. "Our 'Lufthansa Cargo 2020' programme is our response to the strategic challenges of the future," explained the airline's CEO. Lufthansa Cargo has set up nine ambitious projects to be equipped for the future. "The fifth fuel-efficient Boeing 777F aircraft joined our fleet in spring 2015. The Triple Seven is the best aircraft in its class, with low fuel consumption, outstanding range and superb reliability," is how Gerber explained the advantages of the aircraft's design. The cargo airline is also in the process of implementing a modern IT system for freight handling which is based on a well-proven industry solution. The roll-out is scheduled for completion by this autumn.