Lufthansa Cargo automates the processing of email booking requests
Lufthansa Cargo is preparing for the future, initiating an extensive automation initiative as part of its corporate strategy. Together with experts from Lufthansa Industry Solutions (LHIND), the airline has now automated the processing of booking requests from unstructured emails. The initiative has boosted the cargo airline’s efficiency by enabling it to process booking requests more swiftly.
The customer
Generating revenue of €3.26 billion and completing 8.5 billion freight ton-kilometers in 2024, Lufthansa Cargo is one of the world’s leading air freight operators. At present, the company has around 4,200 employees worldwide.
Lufthansa Cargo’s services focus on airport-to-airport shipments. Its network covers around 350 destinations in over 100 countries. The airline has access to both cargo aircraft and freight capacities in passenger aircraft operated by Lufthansa Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Discover Airlines and SunExpress, along with lorry transports. The majority of its cargo shipments pass through Frankfurt Airport.
At a glance: LHIND services for Lufthansa Cargo:
Prompt engineering
AI development – serverless code to extract booking data with the help of AI models
Ongoing application adaptation
Expansion of the application to include new booking categories
Python development
The challenge
Until now, when Lufthansa Cargo has received email booking requests – which feature typos, different formats and free text – it has been forced to process them entirely manually. This is because, unlike requests submitted through the company’s cargo booking platform, the pertinent booking information is not entered in a standard format in designated fields and is instead scattered throughout unstructured email text.
The airline wanted to automate these manual processes in order to handle email booking requests faster and more efficiently. Distinguishing between different booking categories posed a particular challenge, as did ensuring precise recognition of key booking details, such as units of measurement.
Intelligent process automation (IPA) facilitates fully automated processing, even for unstructured emails. IPA features a combination of different technologies; the primary components are artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic process automation (RPA).
The AI extracts relevant data about a booking from the email text and transfers this information to the software robot. The robot can then book the shipment in a fully automated process or, if the request is handled manually, enter all details into the system’s booking interface. This removes the need to transfer shipment information manually – which is susceptible to human error – and thereby makes processing booking requests markedly faster and more efficient.
In the first instance, the Mail2Booking process has been designed to process standard requests for general cargo bookings. The aim is to expand this process gradually to handle more complex categories, such as pharmaceuticals and dangerous goods (DGR).
Customer benefits
Successfully automating the Mail2Booking process will enable Lufthansa Cargo to process manual booking requests much faster and more efficiently in the future. Employees will be able to concentrate on tasks that generate more value instead. By collaborating closely, Lufthansa Cargo and LHIND have developed a pioneering solution that combines efficiency, innovation and scalability.
At a glance: How Lufthansa Cargo benefited from the solution:
Increased efficiency: Manual processing of booking requests has been significantly reduced, allowing employees to focus on tasks that generate value.
Scalability: The solution is flexible and can be extended to include further booking categories and locations.
Higher customer satisfaction: Automated processing means that customers receive responses to their booking requests much faster.
Future-proof: Automation is helping Lufthansa Cargo to proactively address the shortage of skilled workers.
“In the Mail2Booking project, Lufthansa Cargo has once again underscored its pioneering role in digitalization of the air freight sector. Thanks to Lufthansa Industry Solutions’ AI expertise and support, the solution eliminates manual worksteps, significantly reduces processing times and enables us to confirm our customers’ bookings more swiftly.”
Florian Goertz Product Owner Digital Assistants and Automation Platform, Lufthansa Cargo
