LEIPZIG: June 03, 2019. Prompted by a tenfold increase in air cargo volumes at Leipzig / Halle Airport since 2007, owner Mitteldeutsche Flughafen AG says new investments in the “next few years” will total some €500 million.
Mitteldeutsche Flughafen is a German publicly-owned company that operates the airports of Dresden and Leipzig / Halle plus PortGround GmbH. Founded in 2000, the shareholders are the Free State of Saxony, the state of Saxony-Anhalt, and the cities of Dresden, Leipzig and Halle.
The shareholders have unanimously agreed to invest in new apron areas, logistics and office buildings in the northern and southern parts of Leipzig/Halle (pictured) including a second Cargo City. Together with the expansion of DHL’s hub, announced last year, it is the largest investment by the Central German airports since the 1990s.
“I’m delighted that the shareholders are supporting our course with such commitment. We can now continue to expand our excellent market position for cargo,” said Mitteldeutsche Flughafen CEO Götz Ahmelmann. ”Leipzig/Halle Airport is already the fifth-largest freight hub in Europe and the second-largest in Germany. And this growth is continuing: we were able to set a new record with freight volumes totalling 110,419 tonnes as recently as March 2019.”
The number of people directly employed at the airport has increased to 9,500 in 100 companies. One of them is Rhenus Air & Ocean that opened for business on June 01. The new branch has a direct link to the Rhenus Group’s international network through the groupage and air freight gateways in Hilden and Frankfurt/Main.
“Leipzig/Halle Airport registered growth of seven percent in its air freight volumes in 2018, which is far above the average figure. This growth potential is the main reason why Rhenus has decided to set up business operations there,” explained Stefan Schwind, managing director of Rhenus Air & Ocean Germany. “Because of its central location, it’s also an ideal addition to our network within Germany. The site is strategically important for us, thanks to the good international connections too.”
