LEJ sets sights on becoming global gateway for air cargo

Leipzig/Halle Airport (LEJ) in Germany is looking to become a global gateway for general air cargo following its meteoric rise as a major European hub for DHL and for Amazon Air. LEJ’s expansion aims to attract carriers transporting mainstay air cargo commodities, including automotive components, machinery, consumer goods, livestock and controlled-temperature products such as pharma and perishables, Steven Verhasselt, former commercial director of Liege Airport (LGG), told Air Cargo World . In addition, Ukraine-based Antonov Airlines earlier this year outlined moves to establish a temporary, full-scale operational base at LEJ following the destruction of its headquarters and aircraft at Kiev-Antonov Airport (GML) by Russian military forces. [caption id="attachment_68814" align="alignright" width="487"] Photo/LEJ Airport[/caption] The airport has tasked consultancy FB Cargo Strategy, founded by Verhasselt, to help fine-tune a general cargo strategy . That strategy is set to be unveiled at several air cargo industry events in September, including the International Air Cargo Handling & Logistics (ACHL) conference in Athens, Greece, the IATA World Cargo Symposium (WCS) in London and the Norwegian Seafood Logistics Conference in Oslo, Verhasselt said. Positioned for cargo Having posted a new record for annual cargo traffic of 1.6 million tonnes in 2021, LEJ’s volumes in the first half of 2022 totaled 767,559 tonnes, a slight year-over-year increase, according to the airport. Moreover, the location of LEJ makes it an “important market in the EU for both air cargo imports and exports,” Verhasselt told Air Cargo World . “LEJ is a cargo airport, where the first priority is the express operation of DHL, and it proves every day what an efficient hub it is,” he said. “There is room for additional cargo flows without impacting this core business.” The airport is equipped with two parallel runways, road and rail connections, and a sizeable stock of available land within its boundaries for the construction of logistics facilities. There is also a significant labor pool around the Leipzig region, Verhasselt noted. And the development of state-of-the-art digital infrastructure designed to move cargo through the airport quickly and efficiently is another important part of LEJ’s strategy, he said. LEJ parent company Mitteldeutsche Flughafen AG in 2019 agreed to an investment of 500 million euros ($504.2 million) for new aprons, freighter aircraft bays and logistics buildings for development at the airport. However, it has not been confirmed whether the plans are still in the works. ‘Pivotal role’ in DHL’s international network Nevertheless, LEJ’s cargo airport credentials have been strongly endorsed by DHL Global Forwarding. “As its most important European gateway, Leipzig plays a pivotal role in DHL Express’ international network ,” Thomas Mack, DHL’s executive vice president of global airfreight, told Air Cargo World . “But the airport is also becoming increasingly important for general air cargo for DHL Global Forwarding. “We have the opportunity to leverage the freight capacity of our sister division, DHL Express,” Mack said. “[R]egional airports such as Leipzig offer an important alternative in the current volatile market environment with high freight volumes and tight handling capacity. For this reason, DHL Global Forwarding expanded its capacity — especially with a strong focus on life science and health care logistics — at its facility close to the airport at the beginning of last year.” Opportunities for growth Verhasselt compares LEJ's “‘priority on cargo”’ focus with mainland Europe's major combined pax and air cargo hubs, Frankfurt (FRA), Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Amsterdam Schiphol (AMS). These airports will in time resolve the passenger traffic issues they have seen this summer due to staff shortages, and smooth the path for air cargo shipments, he said. He insists there is a need for specialized all-cargo airports like LEJ, with its “dedicated infrastructure and processes and readily available and well-trained staff, which represent a competitive advantage.” "Given the capacity of the airport, there are plenty of opportunities for growth,” Verhasselt added. “Capturing a bigger part of general cargo flows to Europe is definitely an opportunity and one within LEJ’s reach.” Join Air Cargo World for our next webinar, “Forward Thinking: Best practices for freight forwarder success,” on Tuesday, Sept. 13, at 11 a.m. ET. Click here for more information and to register.

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