On 2 November 2020, our ground handling agent at Frankfurt Airport, Swissport Cargo Services, opened its new, state-of-the-art warehouse. 

GertJan Roelands, SVP of Sales & Distribution at AFKLMP Cargo “Germany is a strategic market for Air France KLM Martinair Cargo. We are continually striving to enhance our product proposition to assure our customers of the best possible service. Together with Swissport, we will be taking the next step in achieving this ambition.” 

The new Swissport facility, covering 17,000 m2, will enable us to offer customers best-in-class handling services, in line with our ambition to lead the market in terms of service excellence, specifically in the field of logistical solutions for pharma & healthcare. An added bonus is that this new facility is sustainably constructed, which is very important to us. 

This new strategic handling hub offers the following features: 

• COOL – a large, state-of-the-art pharmaceutical centre: 

• Three gates that enable direct delivery to the pharmaceutical centre; 

• Storage area: 

• Range +2°C to +8°C: 2 x 260 m2; 

• Range +15°C to +25°C: 1,300 m2; 

• Active container capacity: 

• Approx. 30 plug-in stations with separately fused, high-voltage connections; 

• Restricted goods (DG) with temperature requirements; 

• ULDs are built in a temperature-controlled area at +15°C to +25°C. 

 GREEN – a well-devised sustainability concept: 

• Solar cells on the roof: capacity of approx. 1.5 million kWh per year; 

• E-fleet (forklifts etc.); 

• E-charging stations in the parking lot. 

 FAST – a slot management system with efficient shipment delivery/collection: 

• Delivery slot allocation, avoiding peaks and waiting times; 

• Transparency by way of live information; 

• Standardised and uniform processes. 

Air France KLM Martinair Cargo is preparing itself, together with other directly involved partners, for the future transport of Covid-19 vaccines. This includes expansion of handling facilities, improved monitoring and intervention management, strategic partnerships with pharmaceutical container suppliers and many more activities. We have created a Covid-19 Task Force to ensure that we can successfully execute this logistics challenge from an airfreight perspective. 

Peter Visser, director for Germany & Austria at AFKLMP Cargo: “We congratulate Swissport on the opening of this ultramodern warehouse. Together, we are ready for a future in which we will offer customers extensive capabilities, including the transportation of Covid-19 vaccines.”