DHL Global Forwarding has commenced full operations at a newly built, state-of-the-art airfreight warehouse at Frankfurt Airport. The facility is situated near Gate 31 in CargoCity South. The DHL Group, the air and seafreight specialists, can now draw on expanded capacities at a single, central location for handling up to 300,000 metric tons of cargo annually. Previously, the company split its operations across three sites at Frankfurt Airport. Fraport, the owner and operator of Frankfurt Airport, designed and built the airfreight warehouse to align with its customer’s needs. The construction period, from the groundbreaking ceremony to the handover to DHL, went as planned, taking a little over a year.
Anke Giesen, Executive Director Retail and Real Estate at Fraport AG, says: “The launch of full operations by DHL Global Forwarding at the state-of-the-art airfreight warehouse is a major milestone in the ongoing development of Frankfurt Airport as an airfreight hub. Under the CargoHub Masterplan, Fraport aims to increase cargo volumes at FRA by some 50 percent to around three million metric tons of airfreight per year. In this context, the new warehouse is a major project for Fraport’s real estate development team, and it’s now been completed on schedule.”
The new facility includes 24,500 square meters of warehouse space on a 55,000 square meter site. Flexible office and meeting spaces occupy 3,000 square meters. In total, the warehouse has 54 gates and truck docks with associated roadways and manoeuvring areas. The facility also has 25 parking spaces for trucks and 185 spaces for other vehicles. 20 of these spaces are equipped with e-charging stations. A large photovoltaic system is currently being built on the warehouse roof, with peak generation of two megawatts. Upon commissioning, the green energy produced will be fed into the airport grid. In recognition of the facility’s state-of-the-art design and excellent sustainability performance, Fraport is seeking ESG verification for the EU taxonomy, as well as gold certification from the German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB).
The completed facility will play a key role in handling forecast growth in the airfreight market. With its CargoHub Masterplan, Fraport AG is focusing on the expansion of Frankfurt as an airfreight hub over the coming years. The plan involves three key initiatives: space optimisation, space development, and digitisation & process innovation. The blueprint sees Fraport continuing to develop Frankfurt Airport on a sustainable basis, and in a way that matches freight demand. Doing so will allow Fraport’s partners and customers to find ideal conditions for further future growth – with high levels of connectivity, modern infrastructure, and efficient processes.
