Lufthansa Cargo is investing  around 500 million euros the construction and modernization of its future hub at Frankfurt Airport’s Cargo City North.

The airline group is tackling its largest construction project to date, which is scheduled to be completed by 2030 and will cover an area of more than 70,000 square meters.

Construction work began in August for a 40-meter-high high-bay warehouse, including the automated transport system and the first building modules in the north of Frankfurt airport.

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.

Existing buildings and warehouses of the Lufthansa Cargo Center are also planned to be upgraded and modernised or replaced by newer buildings.

80 percent of the airline’s global cargo volume goes through the Frankfurt hub and the modernization project is expected to result in faster handling speeds, easier transport processes and better service quality, but it’s not a walk in the park.

“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,” shared Dietmar Focke, operations chief at Lufthansa Cargo.