As Europe confronts mounting challenges in logistics, infrastructure, and sustainability, its major cargo hubs are under pressure to adapt. Rising e-commerce volumes, shifting supply chains driven by geopolitical tensions, and increasingly ambitious climate regulations are forcing airports to reconsider their position in global trade networks. Frankfurt Airport, already one of Europe’s leading cargo gateways, provides a clear view of how the market is evolving. Forecasts indicate that airfreight volumes at the hub could rise by 50 percent by 2040. Meeting that demand requires more than new warehouses or additional runways; it involves reshaping how airports interact with freight forwarders, handlers, airlines, and road transport operators to create both physical and digital resilience.

This systemic approach is particularly important in Europe, where airports operate within dense cross-border networks. Trucking links, customs processes, and differing national interpretations of EU rules add complexity. Within this environment, Frankfurt Airport has become a test bed for preparing a major hub for the next era of cargo growth.

Joachim von Winning, Director of Cargo Partnerships at Frankfurt Airport, said the hub is expanding on both airside and landside. “We already have the airside capacity for additional cargo, which is really good,” he noted. “With the improved master plan, we also create additional capacity on the landside — both for freight forwarders and for cargo handlers. That means there is room to grow.”

For airlines and logistics firms, predictable long-term capacity is critical. “It means they can have confidence in Frankfurt that it’s not just a one-off. Here in the centre of the continent, there is a place where they can grow business, not just next week but for the next coming decade as well.”

Digital capability is integral to that strategy. “With our joint venture with Dakosy, we now offer not just physical infrastructure, but also the digital infrastructure that air cargo needs,” von Winning said. “It reduces waste, provides visibility, and creates smoother processes — even in a vast, big airport like Frankfurt.”

He emphasised that growth depends on collaboration across the cargo community. “It is not us as the airport operator handling the cargo or flying the cargo. It is the freight forwarders and handlers, the trucking firms, the service providers with cool-temperature solutions. They are the ones creating the flows.” Frankfurt’s cargo community model, established more than a decade ago, proved instrumental during the pandemic and continues to underpin growth.

Road transport remains especially important. “You always have to have the whole supply chain visible,” von Winning explained. “The main split we have is between trucks and aircraft, and that has to be smooth. We estimate there is already one million tonnes of air cargo trucked from Frankfurt to other airports.” Frankfurt is also considering potential rail integration, with space set aside for a multimodal hub. “It’s challenging — aircraft and rail are two modes that don’t always match well — but we want the option to include them if technology develops further.”

Europe’s airfreight sector is distinguished by formal cargo communities, from Frankfurt to Brussels and Amsterdam. “For German culture, founding associations for a common goal is a very normal thing,” he said. Such structures allow competitors to collaborate “for the good of all,” a mindset that will remain essential as Europe navigates growth, regulation, and sustainability pressures.

Regulatory and cost challenges persist. Germany’s strict implementation of EU rules can create disadvantages. Close cooperation with customs and other authorities is therefore central. Sustainability, von Winning argued, extends beyond carbon. “Cargo contributes a lot in other areas too… Our job is to create a marketplace of ideas and services so businesses can grow sustainably — and we benefit in the end as well.”

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