FedEx Express gateway for central & eastern Europe moves to Cologne
FedEx Express will relocate its largest German gateway from Frankfurt/Main to the Cologne/Bonn airport in 2010. FedEx and the operator of the airport, Flughafen Köln/Bonn GmbH, signed a cooperation agreement. New ramp and sort facilities will be built on a total floor space of approximately 50,000 square meters. The reason for this decision is the rapidly-growing demand for express services in Germany and Eastern Europe and its alignment with the strategic objectives of the company.
“In order to be able to provide the highest possible quality in all our services to our customers worldwide, we need to expand our hub capacities,” said Michael Mühlberger, vice president, Operations, FedEx Express Central & Eastern Europe. “Due to a potential ban on night flights, the Frankfurt/Main location cannot provide FedEx with long-term planning reliability.”
However, the Rhine/Main region will continue to play an important role for FedEx’s intercontinental and Europe services. Therefore, a part of the workforce will continue to work in Frankfurt in the future. In addition, new jobs will be created in the Cologne/Bonn region.
Cologne airport holds a number of benefits for FedEx, including great air traffic capacities. With a volume of 698,000 tons, it is the second-largest cargo airport in Germany and has longstanding experience in collaborating with air cargo and express service providers. Due to its proximity to highways, railway transportation and the river Rhine, the airport provides an ideal infrastructure for cargo traffic.
