Lufthansa not planning further freighter flight cancellations at FRA

Lufthansa Cargo has had to cope with disruption to its freighter flight schedules at its Frankfurt Airport (FRA) hub due to ground handling staff shortages at Germany’s principal air hub. It cancelled four all-cargo flights on Friday (1 July) and had delays on other flights the following day and Sunday. Lufthansa had embargoed animal and passive-cooled shipments until at least 10 July, a Lufthansa spokesperson told Air Cargo World . “The embargo on animal shipments is still valid, but booking passive-cooled shipments in the temperature range between 15 degrees Celsius to 25 degrees Celsius is possible again,” the spokesperson said. “However, passively cooled shipments in the temperature range between 2 degrees Celsius to 8 degrees Celsius, as well as deep frozen shipments (-20 degrees Celsius) are still not bookable.” [caption id="attachment_97719" align="alignright" width="443"] (Photo/Frankfurt International Airport)[/caption] The carrier has not published any further freighter cancellations, the spokesperson said. “At the moment there is no decision to reroute our freighter flights to other airports,” they added. Ground handling difficulties induced by labor shortages at FRA have contributed to the impact on Lufthansa’s temperature-controlled shipments, Stephan Haltmayer, CEO of FRA-based SME forwarder Quick Cargo Service (QCS), told Air Cargo World . “We’ve had to reroute shipments to other airports. We are in regular contact with our European offices to find suitable solutions via gateways in other countries to get our freight uplifted,” Haltmayer said. “It is a big image loss for Frankfurt Airport not being able to find solutions for ground handling. This goes for both passenger and freighter flights.” FRA faces ground handling challenges Indeed, Fraport, FRA’s operator, has seen staff shortages, especially with regard to ground handling , the operator told Air Cargo World. In turn, the airport itself has been experiencing significant disruptions, longer wait times and flight cancellations for both passenger and cargo operations, especially during peak periods. “We are doing our best to process cargo as quickly and efficiently as possible,” the spokesperson said. “In addition, we have intensified our recruitment program, especially for hiring ground services specialists. For example, our FraGround subsidiary is currently recruiting ground and baggage handling staff.” The aim is to hire up to 1,000 employees this year. FRA has added some 870 new members to its workforce. “Nevertheless, it takes time until the new employees can provide noticeable relief," the spokesperson said. "They need to undergo extensive background security checks, as well as the necessary specialized training before being deployed at the airport.“ The spokesperson underlined that FRA is experiencing extreme traffic peaks with arriving and departing flights spread unevenly throughout the working day. “At times, FRA’s traffic is almost back to the pre-pandemic levels of 2019, particularly during the early morning hours and at noon time," they said. "Furthermore, flights are often rescheduled at short notice, due to external factors such as weather or delays related to air traffic control. As a result, we require additional staff outside the planned duty rosters.“ To remedy this situation, some airlines are pro-actively cancelling or rescheduling flights in advance to periods when traffic volumes are lower, the spokesperson explained. “The goal of these measures – in cooperation with our airline partners – is to stabilize FRA’s operations during peak times for the benefit of all stakeholders," the spokesperson said. "However, this does not imply that ground handling services at FRA have been suspended at any time – neither for freighter nor for passenger aircraft.“

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