While Schiphol, for instance, is concentrating more and more on passenger business, some traditional hub airports are focusing on their cargo operations.
To secure Frankfurt’s long-term competitiveness, Fraport has launched a dedicated CargoHub Master Plan, built on three pillars: Area Optimisation, Area Development, and Digitalisation & Process Innovation.
Through area optimisation, existing infrastructure is being upgraded to increase capacity, efficiency and sustainability. New developments in Frankfurt’s CargoCity South are providing additional logistics areas. Contract negotiations for the first plot were underway at the time of writing while marketing activities for additional space are ongoing.
At the same time, digitalisation and process innovation are transforming operations across the cargo value chain, notes Denis de Farias Duarte. “Digital platforms, automated workflows, and smart logistics solutions are central to Fraport’s efforts to support an industry that is still largely paper-based in its drive to increase efficiency,” he notes.
“One example of our digital innovation efforts is the Smart Pick-Up project, developed through allivate, a Fraport joint venture.”
This digital solution replaces traditional paper-based collection orders with a digital authorisation. Launched in a pilot phase in May 2024, the system provides authorisation data two hours before an aircraft lands at Frankfurt, including real-time Customs status and readiness updates, and is fully integrated with slot booking.
Smart Pick-Up is scheduled to be rolled out across all operations by the end of this year.
