Leipzig/Halle Emerges from the Shadow

Naether says the airport would like to have more cargo flights. The airport has earmarked over 50 million Euros for expansion work this year. A large part of the allocation will be for the construction of a maintenance base in the northern wing for the Russian cargo carrier Volga-Dnepr which deploys the large-bodied Antonov aircraft. The airport also plans to allocate some additional space for DHL. For the horse-riding show called Reitmesse Partner held in April, a special section — the “animal lounge”, as it is called — was opened for the transport of live animals.

Naether expects cargo volume to post double-digit growth again this year. But the Leipzig/Halle airport is also “expanding its horizons” and does not just want to be a “corner in the traffic to and from Eastern Europe,” an airport representative says.

Targeting Asia

The airport has also set its sights on Asia as recent moves by its management reveal. The airport’s chairman Markus Kopp has already visited China which he describes as the world’s “most dynamic market for air cargo traffic,” with hubs Hong Kong and Shenzhen assuming dominant positions in that region.

Since October 2010, Leipzig/Halle has a partnership cooperation with Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport which with 605,000 tons a year is China’s fourth largest cargo airport. Kopp saw a strong basis for a “strategic cooperation” between the two airports.

The aircraft operated by AeroLogic, a Leipzig/Halle based joint venture between DHL Express and Lufthansa-Cargo, fly to Hong Kong, establishing a direct link between Asia and Central Europe. Kopp has been highlighting Leipzig/Halle’s connectivity to the Trans-European highway and rail network, thus making it an “ideal partner” for traffic to Europe and the Asian growth markets.

Much of Leipzig/Halle Airport’s cargo business relies on express traffic. “We are the gateway to Eastern Europe but we are also keen to expand into new markets,” Naether says.

The airport got a big boost in 2008 when DHL started to deploy 50 cargo aircraft at the airport per night, handling up to 2,000 tons of cargo each night. The airport’s position was further strengthened in 2009 when Aerologic made Leipzig/Halle its home base with a fleet that includes eight B-747F aircraft.

Logistics Security

Cargo experts say that Aerologic will increase the airport’s airfreight and express business to and from Asia, the Middle East, and North America.

Indeed, Leipzig/Halle serves destinations as varied as New York, Cincinnati, Hong Kong, Delhi, Singapore, Seoul and Lagos.

An “interesting project,” as Naether puts it, is the Logistics Security Center (LSC) being set up by DH-Beteiligungen at the Cargo Area South to ensure safe shipment, storage and handling of high-value products and industrial goods. This, as Leipzig/Halle representatives have been touting, will create a “perfect environment” for the business of those concerned about security.