Europe’s top cargo airport? Well, surely that would be Frankfurt. Or maybe Paris?
It’s a good question, because through last year both gateways were trumpeting the fact that their cargo figures for 2013 clearly showed they were each the busiest cargo gateways in Europe.
On paper, at least, Frankfurt appeared to be the underdog with 2.1 million tonnes of cargo handled, while Paris, combining the figures of Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports, came in at 2.18 million tonnes.
Game over? Well, not quite. Both figures contained airmail traffic, which put the French in front. But in terms of pure cargo traffic, it was apparently Frankfurt that won the day. So, yes both were able to claim victory – of a kind.
Now, it seems, they are going to be sniping at one another again. Frankfurt, confident of gaining overall supremacy, has reported figures for 2014 of 2.2 million tonnes. But wait, those Frenchies are at it again. Curiously, posting its results a month later than its German rival, Paris says its 2014 total was 2,201,726 tonnes, thereby just shading its Teutonic neighbors …again.
No doubt, the caveat of who handled the more pure cargo will once again be played to Frankfurt’s benefit.
But it is the German cargo hub that appears to have regained its self-confidence and self-belief. That confidence took a serious knock three years ago when a night flight ban was imposed on the airport, literally almost overnight. Take-offs and landings were banned between the hours of 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. The ban affected 17 nighttime cargo flights, of which about 11 were operated by Lufthansa Cargo.
The German carrier argued, in vain, that the ban would cost it $45 million a year. It threatened to move its operations to another German airport, or even (mein Gott) another Euro hub, outside of Germany.
Three years later and, remarkably, Lufthansa Cargo is still fully entrenched at Frankfurt and even committed to building a new cargo terminal. It appears to have accommodated the imposition of the night flight ban and even managed to provide for the dispersal of five new 777Fs into its constrained schedules.
As a reward for quieter nights around the neighborhood, Frankfurt did at least gain the concession of an extra runway, opening just a day after the nighttime ban came in. But the issue of nighttime operations continues to stalk the airport. Calls have been made for the ban to be extended to what are described as the “shoulder hours” – one hour on either side of the current curfew.
The issue is due to be resolved in time for the start of the summer schedule. The likelihood is that some kind of runway rotation could be introduced, but airport owner and operator Fraport argues that this will be difficult to implement.
As far as cargo is concerned, Fraport has set itself the daunting task of hitting the 3 million tonne mark by the end of 2020. Given that last year’s 2.2 million tonnes represented an increment of only 1.7 percent; that is quite a challenge.
But Frankfurt is definitely, and perhaps defiantly, on the move. Much of the airport’s cargo handing operations have shifted to the south. It is here, on what was an area largely covered by the former U.S. Air Force base, that Frankfurt’s cargo future is being built.
That has manifested itself most recently with the decision by Fraport to finally move ahead with a major expansion of what is termed CargoCity South. A 27-hectare site has been cleared, and bids called in to develop the first phase, which will cover about half of the site area. Would-be bidders are expected to include a mix of airlines, handlers and express operators. The first tenants are projected to move in around mid-2017.
Off the airport and adjacent to the airport’s newest runway, Fraport has a further 110-hectare area for development at its disposal. Known as the Monchof Logistics Park, this project is already being implemented, with the aim of providing logistics companies and other airport-related businesses the opportunity to acquire plots of between 5,000 and 100,000 square meters.
So far, more than 400,000 square meters has been allocated, with the goal of fully site occupation by 2019. Typically, DHL Express Germany and Expeditors International are among the early tenants.
Fraport, though, is also a major cargo operator in its own right. Fraport Cargo Services (FCS) is the largest independent cargo handler on the airport, responsible for moving over 450,000 tonnes a year through its terminals, reflecting a 22 percent market share.
Those figures will be given a significant boost with the recent news that the company has won over the contract from a rival operator to handle the cargo business of China Southern Cargo. Operating five weekly 777F flights a week between Frankfurt and Guangzhou, and six to Shanghai, plus additional passenger services to Guangzhou, the airline is expected to generate annual volumes of 70,000 tonnes moving through FCS facilities.
But Fraport is by no means going it alone in plotting Frankfurt’s long-term future as Europe’s leading air cargo hub. Early last year, a new association, Air Cargo Community Frankfurt, was created with the intent of providing representation for all the major cargo players on the airport to help develop and promote the gateway, while at the same time aiming to improve its working processes. Initially, 15 companies signed up for membership, among them Lufthansa Cargo.
Frankfurt has the advantage over its French rival of being at the heart of Europe’s manufacturing base. But it is a noted curiosity that while 90 percent of all French airfreight flies via the two Paris airports, Frankfurt only attracts around 48 percent of all German airfreight traffic.
For the time being then, Frankfurt and Paris will, presumably, continue to argue over the top-dog spot in Europe… It must be one of them.
Roger Turney
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