Lufthansa Cargo and D-Wave Explore Quantum Optimization for Air Freight Routing
August 24, 2016
A Quantum Flight Plan for Cargo Optimization
On August 24, 2016, Lufthansa Cargo, the air freight division of the Lufthansa Group, disclosed a collaborative research agreement with Canadian quantum hardware leader D-Wave Systems to test quantum annealing approaches for routing and allocation challenges in global cargo aviation.
The partnership represented one of the earliest aviation-sector applications of quantum computing, focusing specifically on problems that are difficult to solve efficiently using classical methods due to their combinatorial complexity.
“As air cargo becomes more time-sensitive and carbon-conscious, the value of smarter, faster decision-making rises exponentially,” said Jörg Bodenröder, Head of Network Planning at Lufthansa Cargo.
The Quantum Problem: Cargo Allocation and Routing
Lufthansa Cargo operates over 300 destinations globally and must make continuous decisions about:
Which aircraft should carry which loads
How to balance fuel costs against cargo value and timing
Optimal routing for multiple cargo handoffs, weather constraints, and customs windows
These decisions are influenced by constantly changing variables including:
Aircraft load factors
Time zones and curfews
Fuel prices and weather disruptions
Customer SLA (Service Level Agreement) thresholds
Lufthansa's operations planning team worked with D-Wave’s quantum application specialists to model these variables as QUBO (Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization) problems, which map well to D-Wave’s annealing architecture.
Modeling Freight Networks with Quantum Annealing
Using anonymized historical route and cargo data from 2015 and 2016, the project team tested scenarios where quantum annealing could improve allocation decisions across:
Trans-Atlantic routes (e.g., Frankfurt–Chicago)
Asia-Europe express routes (e.g., Shanghai–Leipzig)
Multi-hop, multi-client freight forwarding sequences
The team aimed to minimize total emissions and cost while meeting cargo delivery times and weight constraints.
Initial trials on D-Wave’s 1000Q quantum annealer produced encouraging results:
5–10% reduction in routing inefficiencies
Improved load balancing across aircraft with multiple cargo classes
Faster scenario analysis time, from 30 minutes to under 2 minutes
Hybrid Classical-Quantum Approach
To manage the complexity of real-world flight planning, the team used a hybrid model, where a classical preprocessor filtered viable flight legs and weather constraints, feeding feasible QUBO instances into D-Wave’s system for optimization.
Post-processing then validated outputs against regulatory constraints (e.g., EU rest period mandates, airspace restrictions).
“This isn’t just a proof of concept. It’s a glimpse of how quantum computing could handle real air cargo complexity,” noted Dr. Trevor Lanting, Senior Researcher at D-Wave.
Sustainability Impact and CO₂ Reduction Goals
As Lufthansa Group faced increasing EU emissions reporting requirements, the quantum pilot aligned with the airline’s broader sustainability objectives. By modeling cargo routing to minimize emissions and deadhead miles, the project supported:
Reduced CO₂ per ton-kilometer moved
Better integration of electric ground handling units
Optimized fuel tanking strategies
Analysts from Germany’s Aerospace Center (DLR) expressed optimism, calling quantum optimization “a potential breakthrough for aviation’s environmental accounting.”
Next Steps and Industry Implications
Following the successful pilot, Lufthansa Cargo outlined further research goals:
Integrate quantum solvers into daily network planning simulations
Expand QUBO models to include customer demand forecasting
Explore real-time use cases via D-Wave’s Leap quantum cloud platform
The project was closely followed by other European carriers and airport authorities, particularly those involved in high-density freight hubs like Paris CDG, London Heathrow, and Frankfurt.
D-Wave also began parallel discussions with freight integrators and logistics partners like DB Schenker, TNT Express, and Swissport, suggesting quantum cargo optimization could extend across air, sea, and road modes.
Conclusion
The August 2016 partnership between Lufthansa Cargo and D-Wave marked a significant milestone in the application of quantum computing to air freight logistics. By demonstrating tangible gains in allocation and routing performance, the collaboration set a precedent for the aviation sector’s future use of quantum-enhanced decision systems.
As global supply chains demand ever-tighter margins and sustainability metrics, quantum technologies may soon move from lab experiments to essential infrastructure in air logistics planning.