With its LCCevolution project, Lufthansa Cargo is pressing ahead with modernising the Frankfurt hub: In August of this year, construction work began on the new warehouse, including the automated transport system and the first building modules in the north of Frankfurt Airport. In addition to the new building, the existing buildings and warehouses of the Lufthansa Cargo Center are to be upgraded and modernised or replaced by new buildings. Lufthansa Cargo is investing a total of almost €500 million (£435 million) in the major project, which is scheduled to be completed by 2030 and will cover an area of more than 70,000 m².
“With a throughput share of around 80% of Lufthansa Cargo’s global cargo volume, the Frankfurt hub plays a decisive role in the operational success of Lufthansa Cargo,” said Ashwin Bhat, CEO of Lufthansa Cargo. The modernisation and new buildings will further improve turnaround times and increase efficiency at Lufthansa Cargo’s central location. “For our customers, this means faster handling speeds, easier transport processes and an improvement in service quality,” Bhat added.
The first parts of the automated transport system and the construction of the first two building modules are expected to be completed between 2023 and 2027. “A particular challenge of this project is the implementation of a complex construction project while the regular operation of the hub must be guaranteed 24/7, and the gradual improvement of the hub as the new elements are put into function,” explains Dietmar Focke, Chief Operations Officer at Lufthansa Cargo.
With revenue of €4.6 billion and a transport performance of 7.2 billion freight tonne kilometres in 2022, Lufthansa Cargo is one of the world’s leading companies in the transport of airfreight. The company currently employs around 4,100 people worldwide. Lufthansa Cargo’s focus is on the airport-to-airport business. The route network covers around 300 destinations in more than 100 countries, using both freighter aircraft and cargo capacity from passenger aircraft operated by Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Discover Airlines and SunExpress, as well as trucks. The majority of the cargo business is handled via Frankfurt Airport.
