DUS Cargo Logistics, the main cargo handler at Dusseldorf airport, continues to fulfil an increasing role as a main distribution centre for much of Northern Germany and is attracting several new carriers, whilst Lufthansa has started A340-300 service to the US and Canada.
Egypt Air has commenced twice weekly full freighter operations with A300-600F equipment. The route is Dubai ' D'sseldorf ' Cairo, where local regional cargo is loaded. The aircraft loads SEA- AIR cargo from Dubai to D'sseldorf. Armavia, which started operations at D'sseldorf in May, operates A320 passenger flights from Yerevan in Armenia. This allows the weekly import of fish, especially fresh crayfish which is much sought after in the region.
The Lufthansa wide bodied flights serving Newark, Chicago, Toronto are generating a great deal of cargo but the route, for the winter months, will serve Miami instead of Toronto, which is expected to generate even more cargo traffic. D'sseldorf is at the heart of Germany's industrial and commercial region, having Germany's third largest airport with its unrivalled logistics network. Traditional manufacturing has been matched by modern hi-tech industries, which generate around 35% of the country's output. The airport is a key factor in this success story with some 18 million passengers flying per year and around 100,000 tons of cargo.
Gerton Hulsman, Managing Director of DUS Logistics, has clear objectives for future cargo traffic at Germany's third largest airport. 'Our company is one of seven profit centers of D'sseldorf Airport and handles the major slice of the cargo throughput. With so many other airports within a few hours drive, we have to keep on our toes to maintain our traffic, which means looking after our forwarders and attracting new customers. Of course we are fortunate to be at the heart of major passenger routes which means high bellyhold capacity. With Lufthansa and Air Berlin/LTU serving dozens of short and long haul routes. In addition, with carriers such as Emirates moving more than 15.000 tons each year, traffic flows are very healthy.
'We are ideal for aircraft such as B767, A 300, A310 and A330s which feed cargo to the region and on outbound, export locally sourced high value goods. We can of course handle B747 freighters but there are some limitations on long haul loads due to our runway length. The Mid East, Africa and Indian sub continent are our logical markets, whilst our handling speed and lack of congestion plus short distance to our warehouse are extra attractions. If you consider the increasing reluctance of many big airports to accept all cargo flights, it makes freighter friendly airports such as Dusseldorf an easy choice for shippers, forwarders and airlines.'
