Lufthansa Cargo finally completed the construction of a new storage facility at Frankfurt Airport, and declared it officially open on 25JUN26 – five years after planning first begin in 2021, and two years since building work kicked off. The project is one of the milestones of its LCCevo strategy to modernize the Lufthansa Cargo Center, which dates back to 1982 This new facility is now the tallest building in the complex, measuring 42 meters in height, dwarfed only by the 70-meter-high air traffic control towers. The state-of-the-art automated warehouse system is split into a large high-bay warehouse (due to go into operation by JAN27), and a smaller area for temperature-sensitive cargo. The high-bay area spans 13 levels and has circa 3,000 storage positions for pallets weighing up to 2,400 kilograms. Each level features four aisles, each served by its own automated shuttle vehicle – 52 in total – which retrieve and deposit pallets without human intervention. Eight lifts vertically connect the levels, enabling more than 300 storage and retrieval operations per hour. The smaller warehouse, planned to go live next month, has around 1,270 positions, with defined areas for temperature-sensitive cargo requiring storage at a constant 20°C, or 5°C for particularly sensitive shipments. Cargo will move in and out quickly – spending an average of just 20 hours on site before being loaded onto aircraft.
Ashwin Bhat, CEO of Lufthansa Cargo, announced: “With the launch of phase ALPHA, a vision is becoming a reality. LCCevo is one of the most significant investments in our company’s history and a clear commitment to Frankfurt as an air cargo hub [where Lufthansa Cargo handles nearly every second metric ton of air cargo…] With intelligent cargo flows, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and automated processes, we are creating the conditions necessary to continue meeting the demands of global markets. In doing so, we are strengthening our and Germany´s competitiveness, laying the groundwork for further growth.”
Stefan Schnorr, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Transport, stated: “Air freight is indispensable for many key industries in Germany, from pharmaceuticals and mechanical engineering to future-oriented sectors such as semiconductors. For our companies, reliable, secure, and fast access to international markets is of crucial importance. […] Projects like LCCevo strengthen the performance of air cargo and, at the same time, the competitiveness of our country.”
