Hamburg Airport Highlights Efficiency, Digitalisation and Partner Cooperation as Cargo Center Turns 10

(IN SHORT) Hamburg Airport is celebrating the tenth anniversary of the Hamburg Airport Cargo Center, which opened on 30 May 2016 and has since become an important centre for air freight handling in the region. Built for more than €50 million to replace the airport’s old cargo terminal from the 1960s, the HACC covers around 60,000 square metres and includes 44 loading ramps, 36 truck parking spaces, three office buildings and a 20,000-square-metre air freight hall. Over the past decade, the facility has developed into a community of around 40 tenants and 450 employees, handling time-sensitive goods such as aviation and maritime spare parts, mail-order shipments, medical technology, chemicals and pharmaceuticals. The Cargo Center has also demonstrated resilience through changing market conditions, with freight volumes reaching around 70,000 tonnes in 2019, falling during the pandemic and then recovering to approximately 65,400 tonnes in 2024 and 68,400 tonnes in 2025. During the pandemic, Hamburg also served as an important hub for medical supplies including masks and test kits. Supported by airline partners such as Emirates, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, Air France and KLM, the HACC continues to focus on digitalisation, efficient processes and future-ready operations through tools such as the FAIR@Link Cargo Community System.

(PRESS RELEASE) HAMBURG, Germany, 2026-Jun-4 — /Travel PR News/ — Hamburg Airport is marking the tenth anniversary of the Hamburg Airport Cargo Center, a facility that has become a key air freight hub for the region since opening on 30 May 2016.

Over the past decade, the Hamburg Airport Cargo Center has supported efficient cargo handling, strengthened cooperation with regional and international logistics partners and helped modernise air freight operations at the airport. The anniversary highlights ten years of development in a sector where speed, reliability and flexibility are essential.

The opening of the HACC in 2016 represented a major investment in Hamburg Airport’s cargo infrastructure. Built at a cost of more than €50 million, the new facility replaced the airport’s former cargo terminal from the 1960s and created a modern operational base designed for faster, safer and more reliable handling processes.

The site covers around 60,000 square metres and includes 44 loading ramps, 36 truck parking spaces and three office buildings. At the centre of the facility is a 20,000-square-metre air freight hall, which continues to serve as the core of cargo operations at Hamburg Airport.

Alexander Müller, Head of Office and Logistics at Hamburg Airport, said the Cargo Center has developed over the past ten years into a strong community of around 40 tenants and 450 employees. He said the anniversary is also an opportunity to thank the partners and employees who have contributed to the facility’s success since 2016, helping ensure that a wide variety of goods are transported quickly, safely and reliably around the world.

The HACC mainly handles time-sensitive shipments, including spare parts for the aviation and maritime industries, mail-order goods, medical technology, chemicals and pharmaceuticals. Its operational range has also included unusual and high-profile cargo. During the G20 summit in Hamburg, for example, the facility handled a gold-plated aircraft staircase belonging to the King of Saudi Arabia.

The past decade has also shown the Cargo Center’s ability to adapt to changing market conditions. Before the coronavirus pandemic, the facility handled around 70,000 tonnes of freight in 2019. Volumes dropped sharply in 2020 as the pandemic disrupted global aviation and logistics, before recovering noticeably in 2021.

During the pandemic, Hamburg became an important hub for medical supplies, including masks and test kits. The HACC continued to operate as a reliable logistics platform during this period, supporting the movement of essential goods when air cargo capacity and supply chains were under pressure.

Freight volumes have since moved back close to pre-pandemic levels. In 2024, around 65,400 tonnes of cargo were handled at the site, rising to approximately 68,400 tonnes in 2025. The recovery has been supported by strong airline partners, with Emirates, Deutsche Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, Qatar Airways, Air France and KLM among the important air cargo operators at Hamburg Airport in 2025.

Since its opening, the HACC has continued to develop through new technology, improved processes and increasing digitalisation. Hamburg Airport is working closely with cargo partners to make operations more efficient, strengthen data exchange and improve the management of staffing and capacity constraints.

Digital tools such as the Cargo Community System FAIR@Link are helping optimise traffic flows, deliveries and operational coordination. By improving data sharing and reducing waiting and handling times, these systems allow resources to be used more effectively and support a smoother cargo process.

Ten years after its opening, the Hamburg Airport Cargo Center stands as a modern and resilient cargo platform for Hamburg, combining established operational reliability with a continued focus on efficiency, digital transformation and future-ready air freight handling.

Media contacts:

Katja Bromm
Press
Head of Communication / Publication Officer
+49 (0)40 5075 3615
kbromm@ham.airport.de

Oliver Sorg
Janet Niemeyer
Press
Head of Press / Publication Officer
+49 (0)40 5075 3680
jniemeyer@ham.airport.de

Philipp Wolf
Deputy Publication Officer
+49 (0)40 5075 3671
pwolf@ham.airport.de

SOURCE: Flughafen Hamburg GmbH