GERMANY's Lufthansa Cargo has expanded into the transpacific with the debut of the Boeing 777 freighter service from Ho Chi Minh City to Los Angeles, reports London's Air Cargo News.

The first flight on the service was operated using a 777F with the identification D-AALO. The aircraft initially took off from Frankfurt (FRA) for Vietnam.

Then it took off from SGN to LAX, operated by Lufthansa Cargo and DHL joint venture subsidiary AeroLogic.

The freighter, bearing DHL livery, then flew back from LAX on Sunday October 27, arriving at the carrier's FRA home hub on Monday October 28.

Lufthansa Cargo confirmed in September that it would launch its first direct service from Asia to the US as market demand from the region continues to surge.

The move is part of a wider trend for freighter operators to add capacity out of Asia in response to rising e-commerce volumes.