Lufthansa Cargo has celebrated an important step in the development of its Cargo Center (LCC) at Frankfurt Airport.

Guests from the worlds of politics and business, as well as employees, customers and project partners, recently attended the sealing of a time capsule ceremony at the ‘LCCevo’ site to mark the start of its construction, which has already begun.

With an investment volume of almost €600 million, the LCC will be Europe’s most modern air freight hub.

Ashwin Bhat, chief executive of Lufthansa Cargo, said: “In times of global tensions and changing customer demands, we need innovative solutions that meet our, our customers’ and society’s needs. This is only possible with a modern infrastructure.

“For our customers, we want to optimise efficiency and quality and make our service even faster and more seamless. For our employees, we want to create attractive and future-proof jobs for the next generations in our newly designed ‘Home of Cargo’.

“At the same time, ‘LCCevo’ underscores our strong ties to our home base and strengthens Frankfurt Airport’s role as a central cargo hub in Europe”.

Michael Niggemann, member of the executive board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, said: “This investment by the Lufthansa Group is a clear commitment to the Frankfurt location and symbolises our confidence in the long-term future of the airfreight business.

“This flagship project makes our cargo business at the Frankfurt hub fit for the future. It increases quality and efficiency for customers, creates sustainable jobs for our colleagues, and enables even more environmentally friendly ground processes.

“At the same time, we are making a significant contribution to the performance of air freight in the heart of Europe and thus enabling global traffic for our economy.”

The LCC

Since it opened in 1982, the LCC has been in continuous 24/7 operation. The programme to modernise the centre includes the gradual renewal of all central functions by 2030, including cargo handling facilities, storage and conveyor technology, building technology, administrative buildings and IT systems. With a total area of 330,000 sqm – the equivalent of approximately 46 football pitches – it is one of the largest air freight hubs in Europe.

Lufthansa Cargo says construction work is being carried out in sections so that daily operations can continue undisturbed. Project manager Stefan Dürr said: “We are working closely with partner companies such as Züblin and Bleichert Automation, who are contributing their expertise to the successful implementation, which is fully on schedule so far.”

During the current construction phase, Lufthansa Cargo is renovating or building new facilities on an area of approximately 55,000 sqm. A notable milestone is the construction of a 42m high-bay warehouse which will be the second-highest building at Frankfurt Airport.

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