Lufthansa Cargo has revealed that it transported some 426,000 tonnes of freight and mail through the first three months of 2012, representing a fall in tonnage of 9.3 per cent on the previous year.

In what the group described as a 'difficult market environment', the carrier reduced capacity in all regions, with an overall capacity fall of 8.2 per cent.

"Lufthansa Cargo is confronted by immense challenges," said Lufthansa Cargo chairman and CEO Karl Ulrich Garnadt. "Restrained demand in the airfreight business and the drastic impact of the night-flight ban in Frankfurt demand that we exercise maximum flexibility.

"But, we are a healthy and strong company," he added. "When demand picks up, our excellent positioning in all traffic regions will enable us to utilise markets opportunities over the course of the year."

The full financial results for the opening quarter of the year will be published on 3 May, Lufthansa noted.