Summary
- Lufthansa Cargo is investing 500 million euros in a significant expansion project to modernize its Frankfurt hub, aiming to improve efficiency and turnaround times.
- Construction has begun on a new high-bay warehouse and other buildings, with upgrades and replacements planned for existing structures.
- The project will last eight years and involves key partners such as Ed. Züblin AG and BLEICHERT Automation GmbH & Co. KG, with gradual rollouts expected between 2023 and 2027.
Today, one of the world’s largest cargo carriers announced a significant expansion project in Germany. Lufthansa Cargo has announced key partners and details for its LCCevolution project, which will see the carrier modernize its Frankfurt hub. The airline is investing a total of almost 500 million euros ($547 Million) in the project, which will cover an area of more than 750,000 square feet when it is completed in 2030.
Upgrading the hub
Construction began in August of this year on the new high-bay warehouse, which is set to reach a height of 131 feet. Other projects include an automated transport system and the first building modules in the north of Frankfurt Airport. Several existing buildings and warehouses at the Lufthansa Cargo Center are also scheduled to be upgraded and modernized or replaced by new buildings.
The upgrade program comes as Lufthansa Cargo looks to redevelop Frankfurt Airport into an eCommerce hub. The group says that the modernization project and new buildings will further improve turnaround times and increase efficiency at Lufthansa Cargo’s central location. Ashwin Bhat, CEO of Lufthansa Cargo, noted just how much potential there is to enhance operations at the Hessian hub:
“With a throughput share of around 80 percent of Lufthansa Cargo’s global cargo volume, the Frankfurt hub plays a decisive role in the operational success of Lufthansa Cargo.
“For our customers, this means faster handling speeds, easier transport processes and an improvement in service quality.”
Photo: Lufthansa Cargo
Over 2.3 million tons of cargo a year are handled at Frankfurt Airport, which can be reached by truck from all European countries in just 18 hours.
Who is doing the work?
The upgrades will last eight years, with various partners completing various aspects of the project. The primary construction partner was today confirmed to be Ed. Züblin AG of Frankfurt. The company has been operating for over 120 years and is already a key partner in constructing Frankfurt Airport’s Terminal 3. At the signing ceremony earlier today, Johannes Graf, Technical Director of Ed. Züblin AG expressed the company’s excitement to be working on the project:
“The revitalization and renewal of the cargo hub at Frankfurt Airport gives us the opportunity to demonstrate our technical expertise at one of Europe’s largest transportation hubs. We are proud to be working with Lufthansa Cargo on this project from the planning phase through to construction. We would like to thank them for their partnership and constructive cooperation.”
Photo: Lufthansa Cargo
The mechanical engineering company BLEICHERT Automation GmbH & Co. KG has also been contracted as a partner in the construction of the high-bay warehouse.
The project is particularly challenging because the hub is already in constant use. The improvements, therefore, are expected to roll out gradually, with the first parts of the automated transport system and the construction of the first two building modules estimated to be completed between 2023 and 2027.