Dubbed "Cargo Needs the Night", the initiative is supported by Lufthansa Cargo, the Association of German Freight Forwarders and Logistics Operators (DSLV), the Federal Association of Road Haulage, Logistics and Disposal (BGL), the Forwarding and Logistics Association of Hessen/Rheinland-Pfalz, the Board of Airline Representatives in Germany (BARIG) and the Air Cargo Club Germany (ACD).

Lufthansa Cargo CEO Carsten Spohr said: "The right of local residents living near the airport to be protected from unnecessary noise is not at issue. We accept our responsibility as an airline and we are investing massive sums in new technologies. At the same time, we are responsible for thousands of jobs in the logistics industry in Germany, which is an export and industrial nation. Germany is the world's second-largest exporter thanks above all to its logistics expertise."

According to Cargo Needs the Night, 40 percent of the value of domestic German exports moves by air.

"Anyone who shuts down central logistics hubs at night is acting irresponsibly and putting the future viability of Germany's export industry at risk," added Spohr.

The lobby group said that in recent years German courts increasingly have issued one-sided rulings that if applied to a ban on night flights could jeopardize the competitiveness of Germany's airports and its export industry. The group cited other European air cargo hubs such as Amsterdam, Paris, London and Madrid that continue to ensure night flights.

Spohr called on the federal German government to create a reliable framework for future night flying. "That is the only way that companies can make long-term investments in a location. Logistics is a growth industry and it will remain so. It already accounts for 10 percent of Germany's economic strength. In order to grow further and to create new perspectives, we must have planning reliability and a demand-driven infrastructure," he concluded.