… and they will come, assures CEO Jost Lammers in an exclusive interview with CargoForwarder Global. Most likely in the e-commerce sector on routes from China to the Bavarian metropolis. So far, however, most consignments are still being transported in the lower deck compartments of passenger aircraft.
The figures are impressive: 360 intercontinental flights per week are listed in the airport’s traffic statistics. This allows for a very large number of shipments to be transported to and from Munich in the lower decks of passenger aircraft. Since 16JUN25, Cathay joins the list, serving Munich (MUC) four times a week with an A350-900. This is the airline’s second destination in Germany after Frankfurt. Its ground handling partner is LUG aircargo handling GmbH. CEO Lammers also announced that Vietnam Airlines will increase flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City from 4/7 to 5/7, operating B787-800 aircraft.
Leader of the pack
Compared to other German airports, MUC is on the rise in terms of air freight. From January to May 2025, the volume grew by 8.8%, to a cumulative 130,000 tons. In contrast, the other German airports recorded an overall decline in shipments of -1%. It is worth mentioning that the Munich statistics only show the actual freight flown. All shipments contributed by road feeder services are not included. If also counted, MUC would significantly increase its throughput statistics – by +250,000 tons per year.
In the interview, CEO Lammers pointed out that air freight makes a substantial contribution to the sales generated by passenger flights. Depending on carrier and route, this is between 10% to 20%. In other words: without a basic contribution from air freight, some sectors could not operate profitably. Southern Germany, with the metropolitan areas of Munich, Nuremberg and Ingolstadt, is a huge market with a large catchment area that includes parts of neighboring Austria, the Czech Republic and Hungary, he emphasizes.
Attractive location
This economic factor has motivated integrators such as DHL, UPS and FedEx to integrate Munich into their European and intercontinental network. Based on growth forecasts, DHL has invested EUR 150 million in the construction of a new distribution center at the airport. The building has a floor space of 19,000 m², while its previous hall only offered 1,500 m².
The integrator serves MUC twice daily by freighter. This is also spurring on the competition. FedEx and UPS have knocked on Lammers’ door and expressed their demand for additional space. “That speaks for the attractiveness of our location,” says the airport boss.
However, Express does not lead the ranking of flown freight. According to Head of Cargo, Markus Heinelt, general cargo is still in pole position. Final question to Mr. Lammers: Has Trump’s customs confusion left its mark on the air freight players using MUC? “We are not yet registering any negative effects on U.S. traffic – neither in terms of passenger numbers nor cargo volumes,” is his answer.
