Deutsche Lufthansa AG said it saw a recovery in demand for air cargo services in the fourth quarter of this year at the earliest, adding freight volumes were still down year-on-year.

The German flagship carrier also said in a presentation that pre-bookings at its passenger airline business were still growth at a medium single-digit percentage in a positive pricing environment.

Lufthansa earlier reported second-quarter operating profit that beat consensus thanks to one-off effects from the restructuring of its troubled Austrian Airlines carrier. (Reuters)